Top stories from Healio Nephrology: COVID-19 and kidney transplantation
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The COVID-19 pandemic has had major impacts on many areas of kidney care. These impacts range from necessary changes in the way routine dialysis is provided to spiking rates of AKI among patients hospitalized with the virus.
Here, Healio Nephrology brings you stories related to kidney transplantation, which has declined considerably since the start of the pandemic.
Transplantation decline in COVID-19 pandemic may be due to ‘uncertainty’ in transplant community
Findings from two recently published articles point to a significant reduction in the number of overall solid-organ transplantation procedures performed, with the most notable decline seen in kidney transplantation.
Responses of surveyed transplantation centers across the United States led Brian J. Boyarsky, MD, of the department of surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues to suggest the “high rates of transplant program cessation are likely reflective of uncertainty regarding the impact of COVID-19 on [solid-organ transplantation] SOT candidates and recipients, and the potential for exponential case growth to overwhelm our current health care system.” Read more.
COVID-19 may pose great risk to transplant recipients and their contacts
After considering the ways in which transplant recipients have responded to similar viruses in the past, researchers contended that COVID-19 may induce “severe consequences” in recipients, while also placing their health care teams and family members at risk. Read more.
NKF, ASN urge HHS to consider risks for patients with kidney disease in the pandemic
The National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology have written a letter to the Trump administration highlighting the “unique needs” of patients with kidney disease as the country re-opens amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Kidney patients continue to be extremely vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infection and we must take every precaution to help protect them as the country reopens,” Kevin Longino, CEO of the NKF, said in a related press release. Read more.
National societies recommend ways to improve safety in organ transportation
At a transportation summit, four national transplantation organizations — including the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, the American Society of Transplantation, the United Network for Organ Sharing and the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations — developed a set of recommendations to ensure the safety of organ recovery teams. Read more.