AKI IN A NIGERIAN PATIENT WITH COVID 19 AND A SHRUNKEN KIDNEY

Abstract

A case report of a 42-year-old Nigerian male who presented with complaints of high-grade intermittent fever, dry unproductive cough, and difficulty in breathing of 3 days duration; with an associated history of protracted vomiting and generalized body weakness. There was no history of recent travels and he was not aware of exposure to a COVID-19. A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-COV2 was positive and he was treated for COVID-19 pneumonia. During the illness, he had AKI with azotaemia, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, acidosis, and anuria and had several sessions of haemodialysis amidst several medications. A renal ultrasound scan done showed a shrunken right kidney and normal-sized left kidneys. He developed deep vein thrombosis subsequently during admission and was commenced on treatment. Renal function returned to near normal and he is being followed up in the clinic.

The case report highlights the multifactorial risk factors of AKI in the setting of COVID-19 and the challenges of care in a low-resource setting.