ASN's Mission

To create a world without kidney diseases, the ASN Alliance for Kidney Health elevates care by educating and informing, driving breakthroughs and innovation, and advocating for policies that create transformative changes in kidney medicine throughout the world.

learn more

Contact ASN

1401 H St, NW, Ste 900, Washington, DC 20005

email@asn-online.org

202-640-4660

The Latest on X

Kidney Week

Please note that you are viewing an archived section from 2020 and some content may be unavailable. To unlock all content for 2020, please visit the archives.

Abstract: SA-OR08

Screening for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) Infection in Chronic Dialysis Patients: A Nonprofit Provider's Experience

Session Information

Category: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

  • 000 Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Authors

  • Manley, Harold J., Dialysis Clinic Inc, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
  • Majchrzak, Karen M., Dialysis Clinic Inc, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
  • Sanders, Ronald, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
  • Cumber, Serena, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
  • Aweh, Gideon N., Dialysis Clinic Inc, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
  • Ladik, Vladimir, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
  • Stewart, Carol, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
  • Johnson, Doug, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
  • Harford, Antonia, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
  • Lacson, Eduardo K., Dialysis Clinic Inc, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Background

The CDC recommends screening of all patients for COVID exposure history and or signs and symptoms prior to treatment. In order to limit the spread of COVID within our facilities, Dialysis Clinic Inc. screens all patients prior their in-center hemodialysis treatment or peritoneal dialysis visit consistent with recommendations.

Methods

We describe the outpatient screening results of our dialysis patients having a positive screen as patients under investigation (PUI) to activate local protocols for isolation and testing. We determined the frequencies of positive screening parameters and rate of identifying COVID patients.

Results

From 2/17 to 5/1, 2020, facilities screened 15,602 patients over 402,002 in-person visits, identifying 959 PUI’s (6%). Among PUIs, 61 of 351 (17%) COVID+ patients were correctly triaged prior to COVID+ diagnosis. In the subset of 788 PUIs screened prior to 4/11/20 where we were able to catalogue reasons for positive screening, 149 (19%) had exposure only and 639 exhibited symptoms (81%), of which 15 had exposure; 34 resided in group home (GH) and 7 had both exposure and GH residence. It was determined 41 (6.4%) were COVID+. Frequency of symptoms elicited by PUI are shown below.

Conclusion

959 PUIs were identified and isolated by our screening process, resulting in the successful preemptive triage of 61 COVID+ (6%) patients before testing positive, potentially limiting infection spread in the facility. Cough and fever were the most common reasons for positive screen, and fever was most commonly associated with COVID+ diagnosis. However, the majority (83%) of COVID+ patients were primarily asymptomatic and hence not captured by screening.

COVID-related SymptomCOVID+
(n=41)
Non-COVID
(n=598)
Overall
(n=639)
Cough11 (27%)320 (54%)331 (52%)
Fever (≥100 F)30 (73%)153 (26%)183 (29%)
Shortness of Breaths8 (20%)132 (22%)140 (22%)
Sore Throat1 (2%)138 (23%)139 (22%)
02 Saturation ≤90%6 (15%)60 (10%)66 (10%)
Other Symptom2 (5%)43 (7%)45 (7%)
Chills3 (7%)24 (4%)27 (4%)
Diarrhea5 (12%)16 (3%)21 (3%)
Headache1 (2%)13 (2%)14 (2%)
Vomiting2 (5%)7 (1%)9 (1%)
Abdominal pain0 (0%)3 (1%)3 (0%)