Infection Control News

For patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, low serum zinc concentration was linked to an increased likelihood of hospitalizations due to infections. This elevated risk was especially high for individuals on proton pump inhibitors.

Advocating for patients on dialysis across the United States, the American Society of Nephrology joined more than 40 kidney organizations in sending a letter to the Biden-Harris administration COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.

Measuring proteinuria within 48 hours of hospital admission for COVID-19 may help predict adverse outcomes, as the condition occurred frequently and was strongly associated with AKI, ICU admission and mortality.

A study of patients on hemodialysis in the United States revealed that although the actual infection rate was greater than reported COVID-19 cases, this patient population had fewer unknown infections than the general population.

Patients on dialysis in Ontario, Canada, are almost four times more likely to die from COVID-19 than patients without kidney disease, researchers said in a new study.

Although reducing the number of hemodialysis sessions attended each week may limit COVID-19 transmission, most patients were deemed ineligible for twice-weekly treatments, suggesting alternative strategies should be explored.

The proportion of U.S. adults who indicated a willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine increased by almost 10 percentage points between September and December, according to survey results published in MMWR.

A comparison of patients hospitalized with either severe acute respiratory syndrome or COVID-19 showed the former was associated with a higher prevalence of AKI, as well as major adverse clinical outcomes.

For kidney transplant recipients hospitalized with COVID-19, neither reducing nor withdrawing immunosuppression therapy led to allograft rejection or the development of donor-specific antibodies.

A survey administered to members of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons provides insight into how COVID-19 has affected transplant programs across the United States and how these impacts relate to surgeons and staff.