RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Observational Study of the Clinical Characteristics and Short-Term Outcomes of Kidney Transplant Recipients Diagnosed With COVID-19 Infection (SARS-CoV-2) Requiring Hospitalization in New Orleans JF Ochsner Journal JO Ochsner J FD O. P. Jindal Global University SP 329 OP 334 DO 10.31486/toj.21.0008 VO 21 IS 4 A1 Sixto Giusti A1 Shai Chazin A1 Pradeep Vaitla A1 Kofi Atiemo A1 Mohammad Atari A1 Anil Paramesh A1 Hoonbae Jeon A1 Aldo Torres-Ortiz A1 Ravi Thimmisetty A1 Jorge Garces YR 2021 UL http://www.ochsnerjournal.org/content/21/4/329.abstract AB Background: Kidney transplant recipients are at increased risk of severe disease and death caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The role of immunosuppressive medications in the clinical presentation, disease course, and outcomes is not well understood.Methods: We analyzed kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with COVID-19 and requiring hospitalization during the initial infection surge at 2 large transplant centers in New Orleans, Louisiana, between February 1, 2020 and April 30, 2020. Patient presentation, clinical course, kidney transplant function, and postdischarge details are included in this analysis.Results: Twenty-three kidney transplant recipients hospitalized with COVID-19 were included in the study. The majority of patients were Black (95.7%). Diabetes, hypertension, and obesity were present in more than 50% of the patients. The most common presenting symptom was fever, present in 52.2% of patients. All patients were managed with reduction in immunosuppression. Patients received azithromycin (60.9%), hydroxychloroquine (47.8%), remdesivir (8.7%), and intravenous methylprednisolone pulse (8.7%). The average length of stay was 4.5 days (range, 2-18 days). In this study population, 73.9% of the patients sustained acute kidney injury, with an average peak serum creatinine of 3.81 mg/dL. Twenty-six percent of the patients required renal replacement therapy. Seventy-seven percent of patients developed proteinuria (at least 1+ proteinuria on urinalysis). Of the patients in this population who required mechanical ventilation (39.1%), 77.8% died. Overall, 30.4% of patients died of COVID-19–related complications during admission. Of the 16 patients discharged, the average serum creatinine at discharge was 2.09 mg/dL compared with an average preadmission serum creatinine of 1.8 mg/dL.Conclusion: During the initial COVID-19 infection surge in New Orleans, we noted that kidney transplant recipients had initial symptoms similar to the general population. However, we recorded a higher incidence of acute kidney injury and death compared to nontransplant patients. Patients who required mechanical ventilation had a high mortality rate. Black patients are overrepresented in our study.