Acute kidney and liver injury could be the cause of death in patients with COVID-19

Abstract

We evaluated the increase in the risk of developing acute kidney and hepatic injury. Moreover, we investigate the association between kidney and liver biomarkers with poor prognosis and mortality rate. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 397 adult patients with an average age of 48.03 ± 14.09 were diagnosed with COVID-19 of whom, 46 (11.59%) died in hospital. The upper values of the kidney and liver biomarkers were obtained from the recovered patients during the disease period and are compared to the data for dead patients at admission (Baseline) and one day before death. Results: At admission to the hospital, the baseline S.Cr, BUN, and eGFR were not significantly varied between recovered and dead patients. Furthermore, the baseline values for AST, ALT, and ALP were not significantly differed between both groups. Whereas, baseline value of total serum bilirubin was higher in died compared to the recovered patients. For dead patients, the day before death, 52.17% of the patients had progressed to stage III and stage IV AKI. S.Cr and BUN were significantly higher, and eGFR was lower compared to the recovered patients. All of the kidney and liver function tests were abnormally increased from baseline to the day before death. The AST, ALT, and total bilirubin one day before death were significantly higher compared to their baseline value. Conclusions: COVID-19 patients have a high risk for the development of AKI and liver injury that can be progressed to a chronic stage and increase the mortality rate.