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. 2023 Aug;55(8):2091-2098.
doi: 10.1007/s11255-023-03529-w. Epub 2023 Feb 24.

Vaccination and mortality from COVID-19: a comparative study between hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and non-dialysis adult population in Panama

Karen J Courville  1   2   3 , Norman E Bustamante  4   5   6 , Virginia Nuñez-Samudio  6 , Maydelin Pecchio  6 , Iván Landires  6 , Carlos Viggiano  4   7 , Herna Durán  8 , Nadji Novoa  4   9 , Ernesto Alvarado  4   10 , Francisco Vargas  4   11 , Dayan Salado  4   12 , José Manzanares  4   13 , Kelly Haughton  4   14 , César Cuero  4   15 , María Niedda  4   16 , Régulo Valdés  4   8
Affiliations

Vaccination and mortality from COVID-19: a comparative study between hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and non-dialysis adult population in Panama

Karen J Courville et al. Int Urol Nephrol. 2023 Aug.

Abstract

Purpose: Dialysis patients have a different response than the non-dialysis population to infection with COVID-19. This study evaluates the prevalence of infection and lethality in patients receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis in Panama, compared to non-dialysis adult population, and reports of adverse events of vaccination.

Methods: This is a prospective, multi-center cohort study of spatients aged 18 years or older and receiving in-center hemodialysis or ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in 13 centers in Panama from March 2021 to 2022. For comparison with general population, the study used an extended period of two years.

Results: A total of 1531 patients receiving dialysis treatment accepted to participate. PD patients represented an 18% of study patients. Lethality was higher in peritoneal dialysis patients with COVID-19 infection than in hemodialysis in the study group (p 0.02). Total deaths in dialysis patients for 2020 were 156 patients, before vaccination; 79 in 2021; and 25 for the first trimester of 2022. Lethality for the period of 2020-2022 was 9.3% for dialysis patients and 0.2% for non-dialysis population. There was no difference in symptoms in first dose, but with second dose, hemodialysis patients reported fewer symptoms than peritoneal dialysis patients (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion: Ninety one percent of people in the country received BNT162b2 Pfizer BionTech vaccine. Lethality decreased from 30 to 5% once vaccination was available. There were no severe adverse effects and symptoms reported were less frequent than in general population, probably due to low reactogenicity in dialysis patients, or better tolerance to pain.

Keywords: COVID-19; Dialysis; Hemodialysis; Peritoneal dialysis; Vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Patients included in the study, deaths, and follow-up
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Total COVID-19 positive cases in dialysis patients vs. general population, March 2020–March 2022 Panama
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Total COVID-19 positive cases and deaths in dialysis patients in Social Security System 2020–2022
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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