Treatment of acute kidney injury with continuous renal replacement therapy and cytokine adsorber (CytoSorb®) in critically ill patients with COVID-19

Introduction This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the 30 and 60-day survival of critically ill patients with COVID-19 and AKI. Methods Inflammatory and biochemical biomarkers, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay and mortality at Day 30 and Day 60 after ICU admission were analyzed. A total of 44 patients treated with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with cytokine adsorber (CA group) were compared to 58 patients treated with CRRT alone (non-CA group). Results Patients in CA group were younger, had better preserved kidney function prior to the beginning of CRRT and had higher levels of interleukin-6. There were no statistically significant differences in their comorbidities and in other measured biomarkers between the two groups. The number of patients who died 60 days after ICU admission was statistically significantly higher in non-CA group (p = 0.029). Conclusion Treatment with CRRT and cytokine adsorber may have positively influenced 60-day survival in our COVID-19 ICU patients with AKI.