Managing COVID ‐19 in Renal Transplant Recipients: A Review of Recent Literature and Case Supporting Corticosteroid‐sparing Immunosuppression

AbstractNovel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID ‐19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS‐CoV‐2) has become a global healthcare crisis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists immunocompromised patients, including those requiring immunosuppression following renal transplantation, as high‐risk for seve re disease from SARS‐CoV‐2. Treatment for other viral infections in renal transplant recipients often includes a reduction in immunosuppression, however, there are no current guidelines recommending the optimal approach to managing immunosuppression in the patients who are infected with SARS‐C oV‐2. It is currently recommended to avoid corticosteroids in the treatment of SARS‐CoV‐2 outside of critically ill patients. Recently published cases describing the inpatient care of COVID‐19 in renal transplant recipients differ widely in disease severity, time from transplantation, baseli ne immunosuppressive therapy, and the modifications made to immunosuppression during COVID‐19 treatment. The purpose of this review is to summarize and compare inpatient immunosuppressant management strategies of recently published reports in the renal transplant population infected with SARS‐Co V‐2 and to discuss the limitations of corticosteroids in managing immunosuppression in this patient population.

Source: Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy - April 26, 2020 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Kristen M. Johnson, Julie J. Belfer, Gina R. Peterson, Mark R. Boelkins, Lisa E. Dumkow Tags: REVIEW OF THERAPEUTICS Source Type: research