Correlation between Acute Kidney Injury and Inflammatory markers in Coronavirus Disease 2019

Background and Objectives: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) particularly when severe may commonly present with Acute Kidney Injury and may show elevated blood levels of inflammatory markers. Current study aims at determining the correlation between AKI and raised inflammatory markers in COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Medical records of 250 patients admitted in COVID-19 isolation intensive care unit of Farooq Hospital, Westwood Branch, Lahore between 1st July, 2021 and 30th September, 2021 were retrospectively reviewed and data comprising of demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters was collected. Patients with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 from Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) were included in the study while those with incomplete medical records or known history of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) were excluded. Statistical analysis of collected data was then made and p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among 176 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, most (138(78.4%)) were males with mean age of 51.26±15.20 years. Diabetes Mellitus was most common comorbidity observed in 70(39.8%) patients and mean length of hospital stay was 8.46±4.12 days. AKI was found in 91(51.7%) patients while remaining 85(48.3%) patients didn’t have AKI. All four inflammatory markers: C-Reactive Protein (CRP), D-dimers, ferritin and procalcitonin (PCT) were found significantly raised in  COVID-19 patients having AKI compared with non-AKI group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Raised inflammatory markers in patients having severe COVID-19 are associated with increased risk of AKI.