American Society of Nephrology Provides Insights on COVID-19 and Kidney Disease

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• The American Society of Nephrology has launched several initiatives to provide guidance on COVID-19 as it relates to the care of patients with kidney disease.

Washington, DC — The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is especially threatening to patients with kidney diseases and to their caregivers. The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) has launched several initiatives to provide accurate and updated COVID-19–related information on an ongoing basis to clinicians who care for patients with kidney diseases.

As an initial step, ASN, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has established a COVID-19 Response Team. Nephrologists, CDC physicians, infection preventionists, and dialysis nurses meet weekly to acquire new information and share it with the community, inform best practices, and adapt to the changing environment as the pandemic spreads.

ASN’s publications—JASN, CJASN, and Kidney360—will provide valid, peer reviewed information on COVID-19 as quickly as possible, with collections updated with new articles as soon as they are published. Recent examples include the following: 

• In a CJASN article on COVID-19, experts brought together the evidence-based guidance of the CDC and the practical judgment of clinicians to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 in dialysis facilities, offering information on patient screening, placement, and instructions; use of face masks and other personal protective equipment by staff; disinfection practices; and communication with health departments. (https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.03340320)

• A Kidney360 article offers the perspective of 2 U.S. nephrologists on managing patients undergoing hemodialysis who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19, noting the steps and precautions taken for patients presenting to dialysis clinics or emergency departments. (https://doi.org/10.34067/KID.0001452020)

• Another CJASN article provides insights from clinicians in Washington state whose patient—who had been undergoing outpatient hemodialysis—was the first to die from COVID-19 in the United States. A series of policies and procedures were immediately put in place to protect other patients and staff. (https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.03540320)

• The effects of certain antihypertension drugs on the virus that causes COVID-19 is the topic of another CJASN article. The authors stress that these medications are critical to the health of many patients, who should continue to take them as prescribed until definitive studies can determine whether they inhibit the virus or make people more susceptible to infection. The authors have created a website that is being updated in real time to provide a reliable source of information (http://www.nephjc.com/news/covidace2). (https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.03420320)

Additional articles on treating patients with kidney diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic will be published in ASN’s journals as soon as they are available, at http://bit.ly/ASNJournalsCOVID-19.  Also, along with articles published in JASN, CJASN, and Kidney360, more resources on COVID-19 can be found on the ASN Nephrologists Transforming Dialysis Safety (NTDS) Website, at https://www.asn-online.org/ntds.

ASN does not offer medical advice. All content in ASN publications is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This content should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider if you have any questions about a medical condition, or before taking any drug, changing your diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. Do not ignore or delay obtaining professional medical advice because of information accessed through ASN. Call 911 or your doctor for all medical emergencies.

Since 1966, ASN has been leading the fight to prevent, treat, and cure kidney diseases throughout the world by educating health professionals and scientists, advancing research and innovation, communicating new knowledge, and advocating for the highest quality care for patients. ASN has more than 21,000 members representing 131 countries. For more information, visit www.asn-online.org.

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