Advances in chronic kidney disease
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Adv Chronic Kidney Dis · Sep 2020
ReviewCoronavirus Disease 2019 and Hypertension: The Role of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 and the Renin-Angiotensin System.
Hypertension emerged from early reports as a potential risk factor for worse outcomes for persons with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Among the putative links between hypertension and COVID-19 is a key counter-regulatory component of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS): angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 facilitates entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, into host cells. ⋯ However, experimental models of analogous viral pneumonias suggest RAS inhibitors may exert protective effects against acute lung injury. We review how RAS and ACE2 biology may affect outcomes in COVID-19 through pulmonary and other systemic effects. In addition, we briefly detail the data for and against continuation of RAS inhibitors in persons with COVID-19 and summarize the current consensus recommendations from select specialty organizations.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a rapidly spreading pandemic. Owing to changes in the immune system and respiratory physiology, pregnant women are vulnerable to severe viral pneumonia. We review the clinical course, pregnancy outcomes, and management of women with COVID-19 in pregnancy with a focus on those with kidney involvement. ⋯ Use of telemedicine, videoconferencing, and noninvasive fetal and maternal home monitoring devices should be encouraged. High-risk pregnant patients with comorbidities and COVID-19 require hospitalization and close monitoring. Pregnant women with COVID-19 and kidney disease are a high-risk group and should be managed by a multidisciplinary team approach including a nephrologist and neonatologist.
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Adv Chronic Kidney Dis · Sep 2020
ReviewManagement of Acute Kidney Injury in Coronavirus Disease 2019.
Acute kidney injury is a common complication in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Similar to acute kidney injury associated with other conditions such as sepsis and cardiac surgery, morbidity and mortality are much higher in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 who develop acute kidney injury, especially in the intensive care unit. ⋯ During situations of acute surge, where demand for kidney replacement therapy outweighs supplies, conservative measures have to be implemented to safely delay kidney replacement therapy. A collaborative effort and careful planning is needed to conserve dialysis supplies, to ensure that treatment can be safely delivered to every patient who will benefit for kidney replacement therapy.
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Adv Chronic Kidney Dis · Sep 2020
ReviewTreatment Options for Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Patients With Reduced or Absent Kidney Function.
Coronavirus disease 2019, the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus, was first identified in the Hubei Province of China in late 2019. Currently, the only role for therapy is treatment of the disease, as opposed to postexposure prophylaxis, however multiple clinical trials are currently ongoing for both treatment and prophylaxis. Treating coronavirus disease 2019 relies on two components; the first is inhibition of the viral entrance and replication within the body and the second is inhibition of an exacerbated immune response which can be seen in patients with severe disease. ⋯ This review summarizes the current data for the most commonly used drugs for coronavirus disease 2019 and will cover the unique factors that may affect the dosing of these medications in patients with CKD. While clinical trials are ongoing, most are in patients with normal kidney function. During a pandemic, when patients with CKD are at higher risk of both infection and death, it is imperative to include patients these patients in the clinical trials.
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Adv Chronic Kidney Dis · Sep 2020
ReviewMedical Education During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic: Learning From a Distance.
As paradigms of clinical care delivery have been significantly impacted by the novel coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, so has the structure, delivery, and future of medical education. Both undergraduate and graduate medical education have seen disruptions ranging from fully virtual delivery of educational content and limited clinical care for medical students to increased clinical demands with redeployment for residents and fellows. ⋯ During a time of uncertainty and increased clinical demands, the approach to medical education must be thoughtful with attention to wellness of both the educator and learner. In this review, we discuss the influence of the pandemic on the existing medical education landscape, outline existing and proposed adaptations to social distancing, and describe challenges that lie ahead.