Did Prior Covid Vaccination Help Acute Kidney Injury Patients?

Synopsis
A recent study highlights the significant impact of prior Covid vaccination on patients with acute kidney injury. Vaccinated individuals demonstrated superior outcomes, reducing complications and enhancing survival rates. This research underscores the importance of vaccination in the context of Covid-19 and its potential protective effects on kidney health.
Key Takeaways
- Covid vaccination enhances survival rates among acute kidney injury patients.
- Vaccinated patients are less likely to require dialysis.
- Prior vaccination can decrease long-term kidney function decline.
- Unvaccinated patients face higher risks of complications and death.
- Discuss vaccination benefits with healthcare providers.
New Delhi, June 13 (NationPress) Vaccinated individuals hospitalized due to Covid-19 and experiencing acute kidney injury had improved outcomes compared to their unvaccinated counterparts, as revealed by fresh research released on Friday.
The investigation, spearheaded by scholars from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), indicated that those who had received prior vaccinations were less likely to require dialysis post-discharge and showed higher survival rates than unvaccinated patients.
Acute kidney injury, often abbreviated as AKI, is prevalent among those infected with Covid, with incidence rates soaring to 46 percent. This condition can result in slight kidney function reduction or, in severe cases, necessitate dialysis. However, the long-term renal and survival outcomes for these patients remain inadequately understood.
The results, featured in the peer-reviewed journal Kidney Medicine, imply that Covid vaccination could mitigate the risk of long-term kidney function deterioration and mortality.
“The Covid vaccine represents a crucial intervention that can lower the likelihood of complications stemming from the Covid-19 infection in patients admitted for acute kidney injuries,” asserted lead author Dr. Niloofar Nobakht, an Associate Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
“It’s vital for individuals to converse with their healthcare providers about the advantages of Covid-19 vaccination, as it can diminish the risk of requiring dialysis, which significantly impacts patient quality of life and could lead to further complications, including death,” Nobakht emphasized.
The research team evaluated approximately 3,500 patients hospitalized with Covid from March 1, 2020, to March 30, 2022.
Out of these patients, 972 encountered acute kidney injury, with 411 (42.3 percent) being unvaccinated and 467 (48 percent) having received either two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The findings revealed that 65 (15.8 percent) unvaccinated patients were more likely to need a specialized dialysis called continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) compared to 51 (10.9 percent) vaccinated patients.
Moreover, unvaccinated patients had 2.56 times the odds of requiring CRRT after leaving the hospital, 5.54 times the likelihood of dying while hospitalized, and 4.78 times the risk of mortality during long-term follow-up when compared to vaccinated patients.