Outcome of Kidney Transplant Recipients During Covid-19 Pandemic

Background: Kidney recipients constitute a vulnerable group of population and may have high risk of morbidity and mortality when infected with COVID-19. Objective: To a assess the overall outcome as well as the incidence and impact of COVID-19 among recipients who underwent transplantation during the pandemic Methods: A pre-designed follow up protocol was set to prospectively analyse the data obtaining from the recipients who underwent renal transplantation since 8 March 2010, the first appearance of COVID-19 in Bangladesh till 31 December, 2020. Outcome parameters were renal functional status; surgical, urological, immunological and medical complications; and incidence of COVID-19 and its outcome during the first 12 weeks post-transplant period. Results: Out of 100 patients, 82.0% were male and 18.0% were female. Serum creatinine levels (μmol/L) at 4, 8 and 12 weeks post-transplant were 200 in 6.0%, 5.0% and 6.0% respectively. Graft nephrectomy was done in 3 cases due to vascular complications. Five (5.0%) patients presented with symptoms of COVID-19, among them, 2 cases were confirmed with RT-PCR. There were 6 death cases, and septicaemia was the most common cause of death. The overall mortality rate was 6.0% in our study population but in COVID-19 confirmed cases it was 50.0%. Conclusion: During this pandemic, the overall outcome of renal transplantation was excellent and the incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 among transplant recipients was not higher than the incidence observed in general population of Bangladesh. But among the COVID-19 confirmed recipients, mortality rate was significantly higher. Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2022; 48(1): 33-40