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A Scoping Review of the Impact of COVID-19 on Kidney Transplant Patients in the United States

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Monica Karas • Isabel Bernal • Oscar Diaz • Ola Alshammari • David Baggett • Thomas Bronk • Siam Chawdhury • Adi Eylon • Evelyn Garcia • Kyiana Haughton • Breanne Kothe • Andrew M. Joseph • Robin J. Jacobs

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is a highly infectious virus that quickly became and continues to be a public health emergency, given the severe international implications. Immunocompromised patients, such as those undergoing kidney transplantation, are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and require hospitalization for more aggressive treatment to ensure survival. COVID-19 has been infecting kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), affecting their treatment protocols, and threatening their survival.
Read the complete abstract on Cureus.com.

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Kidney Transplant Outcomes in Recipients Over the Age of 70

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Published: January 20, 2023 (see history)

Cite this article as: Mehta J, Ndubueze O, Tatum D, et al. (January 20, 2023) Kidney Transplant Outcomes in Recipients Over the Age of 70. Cureus 15(1): e34021. doi:10.7759/cureus.34021

Abstract

Background: Patients older than 70 years are the fastest-growing age group of patients requiring renal replacement therapy. This has resulted in a corresponding increase in the number of elderly transplant recipients. We hypothesized that graft survival in this population would be comparable to that seen in the literature on kidney transplant recipients under 70 years of age. Read the complete abstract in Cureus.

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Medicare policy change could increase inequity in heart transplant access, study finds

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Patients seen at transplant centers had almost 80% higher odds to receive “bridge-to-transplant” designation

A change to Medicare policy surrounding heart transplant may lead to increased inequities in access to transplant for patients with heart failure, a Michigan Medicine study finds.

When a patient has severe heart failure, both a heart transplant and left ventricular assist device, which is implanted to assist the heart in improving blood circulation throughout the body, can be lifesaving. While LVADs continue to improve, heart transplant remains the gold standard therapy for end-stage heart failure.
Read more from University of Michigan Health.

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Short and Long-Term Outcomes of Kidney Transplant Recipients Diagnosed With COVID-19 Infection: A Single-Center Observational Study

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Abstract

Purpose: Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are at an increased risk of severe disease and death caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. There is a paucity of information on the evolution of graft function among hospitalized KTRs who overcome the infection.

Methods: The study included adult KTRs at a single transplant institute who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and needed hospitalization between March 15, 2020, and January 15, 2021. We analyzed patient demographics, comorbid risk factors, and inpatient clinical courses for patients who were able to recover from the infection. Kidney function was analyzed pre-infection, during initial hospitalization, and up to 12 months post-infection. Read the full study in Cureus.

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NIH-supported study finds racial disparities in advanced heart failure treatment

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White adults were twice as likely as Black adults to receive mechanical heart pumps or heart transplants

Black adults treated at advanced heart failure centers received potentially life-changing therapies, such as transplants and heart pumps, about half as often as white adults, possibly due to racial bias, a small National Institutes of Health-supported study has found. Read the full article from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

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Kidney Transplant Recipients Able to Find Stable Work Post Surgery

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A recent report found that 56% of patients from The Netherlands who underwent a kidney transplant were able to work and functioned well while working.

The proportion of people who underwent a kidney transplant in The Netherlands were able to work, and well, according to a new report published in Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology estimated.

This study also found that these patients functioned better at work after the surgery compared with before the transplant. Read more in the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC).

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Study reports improvement in pediatric liver transplant outcomes over past decades

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Study Rundown: Outcomes in pediatric liver transplantations have improved over the course of the last few decades. This study aimed to evaluate patient characteristics, indications for pediatric liver transplant, and outcomes in a larger cohort of approximately 14,500 patients who underwent pediatric liver transplant in Europe prior to 18 years of age. Read more in 2 minute medicine.

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Influence of organ quality on the observed association between deceased donor kidney procurement biopsy findings and graft survival

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Deceased donor kidney procurement biopsies findings are the most common reason for kidney discard. Retrospective studies have found inconsistent associations with post-transplant outcomes but may have been limited by selection bias because kidneys with advanced nephrosclerosis from high-risk donors are typically discarded.
Read the full abstract from Wiley Online Library.

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Robotic kidney cancer surgery shows desirable outcomes in study

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Robotic surgery compared favorably with standard surgery in a review and analysis of data from 1,375 patients who underwent surgery to remove cancer from the kidney and inferior vena cava. The inferior vena cava (IVC), the body’s biggest vein, carries blood out of the kidneys back to the heart. Cancer can infiltrate this vein and advance to the liver and heart. Robotic IVC thrombectomy resulted in fewer blood transfusions and fewer complications overall in patients compared to standard, open IVC thrombectomy. The findings should compel further studies of the benefits of robotic IVC thrombectomy. Read the full study from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in ScienceDaily.

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The psychosocial needs of adolescent and young adult kidney transplant recipients, and associated interventions: a scoping review

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Renal transplantation is considered the gold standard treatment for end-stage kidney disease. Adolescent and young adult kidney transplant recipients have the highest rate of graft loss amongst transplanted patients. It is largely accepted this is due to psychosocial and behavioural difficulties, which impact adherence to prescribed therapies. This phenomenon is not isolated to a particular healthcare system having been observed in multiple countries across different continents. It is a global issue of concern. We sought to review the psychosocial needs of these patients, and the interventions designed to meet these needs. Read more from BMC Psychology.

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