Repercussions of COVID-19 in hemodialysis patients: a systematic review.

Abstract

Introdution: The immunosuppressive state of patients with CKD increases their risk of developing poor clinical outcomes if they acquire COVID-19 infection.

Objective: To identify the scientific evidence about the repercussions of COVID-19 in hemodialysis patients.

Materials and methods: A systematic review was conducted in this study. The databases Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, and Virtual Health Library were searched to identify relevant studies. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the adapted Downs and Black checklist. The review adhered to the PRISMA guidelines.

Results: A total of 16 articles were included after the screening process. All articles had a methodological quality higher than 66.8%. The most common repercussions of COVID-19 in hemodialysis patients were the increased mortality rate (75%), development of typical signs and symptoms of the disease such as fever, cough, dyspnea, and fatigue (68.75%), lymphopenia (68.75%), progression to severe acute respiratory syndrome (56.25%), need for mechanical ventilation (50%), and admission to intensive (50%).

Conclusions: The hemodialysis patients are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection and, when infected by SARS-CoV-2, these patients have more adverse clinical outcomes, more serious diseases, higher mortality, and worse prognosis than the general population. The repercussions of COVID-19 in hemodialysis patients reveal a need for preventive nursing care in hemodialysis clinics.