Dialysis Toolkit for Ebola Virus Disease-Associated Acute Kidney Injury

Abstract

Ebola virus disease (EVD), a high-fatality haemorrhagic fever endemic to Central and West Africa. EVD frequently presents with multiorgan dysfunction, including acute kidney injury (AKI). The management of AKI in EVD presents unique challenges owing to the infection’s highly contagious nature, the need for critical care in low-resource environments, and the logistics of providing kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in high-biohazard settings. This manuscript outlines a “dialysis toolkit” to guide clinicians managing AKI in EVD. This toolkit covers infection control protocols, preferred KRT modalities, anticoagulation strategies, effluent disposal, and machine handling. Based on existing literature and biosafety guidance, this toolkit is intended for nephrologists, intensivists, intensive care unit nurses, dialysis nurses, infection-prevention teams, and biomedical staff. With this article, we aim to balance optimal nephrological care with maximal protection for healthcare workers across both resource-rich and austere outbreak settings.

Keywords: Acute kidney injury, Ebola virus disease, Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Kidney replacement therapy, Peritoneal dialysis.