Critically ill patients with COVID-19-associated acute kidney injury treated with kidney replacement therapy: Comparison between the first and second pandemic waves in São Paulo, Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to compare the characteristics and outcomes of critically ill patients with COVID-19-associated acute kidney injury (AKI) who were treated with kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in the first and second waves of the pandemic in the megalopolis of Sao Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted in 10 intensive care units (ICUs). Patients aged ≥18 years, and treated with KRT due to COVID-19-associated AKI were included. We compared demographic, laboratory and clinical data, KRT parameters and patient outcomes in the first and second COVID-19 waves. RESULTS: We assessed 656 patients (327 in the first wave and 329 in the second one). Second-wave patients were admitted later (7.1±5.0 vs. 5.6±3.9 days after the onset of symptoms, p<0.001), were younger (61.4±13.7 vs. 63.8±13.6 years, p = 0.023), had a lower frequency of diabetes (37.1% vs. 47.1%, p = 0.009) and obesity (29.5% vs. 40.0%, p = 0.007), had a greater need for vasopressors (93.3% vs. 84.6%, p<0.001) and mechanical ventilation (95.7% vs. 87.8%, p<0.001), and had higher lethality (84.8% vs. 72.7%, p<0.001) than first-wave patients. KRT quality markers were independently associated with a reduction in the OR for death in both pandemic waves. CONCLUSIONS: In the Sao Paulo megalopolis, the lethality of critically ill patients with COVID-19-associated AKI treated with KRT was higher in the second wave of the pandemic, despite these patients being younger and having fewer comorbidities. Potential factors related to this poor outcome were difficulties in health care access, lack of intra-hospital resources, delay vaccination and virus variants.

Systemic amyloidosis journey from diagnosis to outcomes: a twelve-year real-world experience of a single center in a middle-income country.

BACKGROUND: Systemic amyloidosis is caused by the deposition of misfolded protein aggregates in tissues, leading to progressive organ dysfunction and death. Epidemiological studies originate predominantly from high-income countries, with few data from Latin America. Due to the non-specific clinical manifestations, diagnosing amyloidosis is often challenging and patients experience a long journey and delay in diagnosis. This study aimed to assess clinical and laboratory characteristics, the diagnostic journey, and outcomes of patients with biopsy-proven systemic amyloidosis diagnosed between 2009 and 2020 at a university referral center in a middle-income Latin American country. Patients´ medical records were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-three patients were included. The median age at diagnosis was 60 years and 54% were male. Until the diagnosis, most of the patients (52%) were seen by at least 3 specialists, the main ones being: general practitioners (57%), nephrologists (45%), and cardiologists (38%). The most common manifestations were renal (54%) and cardiac (41%) disorders, and cachexia was seen in 36% of patients. In 72% of the cases, ≥ 2 biopsies were required until the final diagnosis. The median time from symptoms onset to diagnosis was 10.9 months, and most patients (75%) had ≥ 2 organs involved. The following subtypes were identified: AL (68%), ATTR (13%), AA (8%), AFib (4%), and inconclusive (7%). Median OS was 74.3 months in the non-AL subgroup and 18.5 months in AL. Among AL patients, those with advanced cardiac stage had the worst outcome [median OS 8.6 months versus 52.3 for stage III versus I-II, respectively (p < 0.001)]. AL subtype, cardiac involvement, and ECOG ≥ 2 were identified as independent risk factors for reduced survival. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic amyloidosis is still an underdiagnosed condition and the delay in its recognition leads to poor outcomes. Medical education, better diagnostic tools, improvement in access to therapies, and establishment of referral centers may improve patient outcomes in middle-income countries.