HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Doctors are seeing more patients with severe COVID-19 suffer from kidney failure and need some form of dialysis. This is leading to a big need in dialysis equipment.
Huntsville Hospital Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Ali Hassoun, says these patients don't necessarily have to have a pre-existing condition with their kidneys to experience kidney failure.
"They have multi organ involvement including kidneys where the kidney unfortunately fails to function properly, and with time they end up with some of them needing dialysis compared with other patients with other types of infections," said Dr. Hassoun. "We definitely see this. It is what we call a multi organ involvement, not just the lungs. It involves a lot of organs including the kidneys."
In other states, hospitals have faced shortages of dialysis machines. Although that's not the case in Huntsville, if coronavirus case numbers continue to climb, it is something officials will need to think about.
"That's always worrisome. Like the ventilators and the shortage with it as cases happen, the same thing is going to be with the dialysis machine," said Dr. Hassoun. "I can tell you at the moment, I have not heard of that so we haven't heard any issues of shortages."
Huntsville Hospital does have specialists and nurses to care for patients with failing kidneys, but if we do see a spike in patients needing dialysis, another worry is if there will be enough trained staff.
"Not anyone can do it," said Dr. Hassoun. "That comes in where you would worry if they get sick or if their family gets sick or if there is exposure, they cannot work and we're going to have more shortage with it."
Dr. Hassoun says it's important to prevent the spread of the virus and cut down cases as much as possible.
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