Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38272543›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2024

All-cause excess mortality among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand: a cross-sectional study from a national-level claims database.

Sutham Jirapanakorn, Woranan Witthayapipopsakul, Khanitta Kusreesakul, Divya Lakhotia, Viroj Tangcharoensathien, Rapeepong Suphanchaimat

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Sutham JirapanakornDepartment of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand suthamkku@gmail.com.ORCID 0009-0008-5936-7268
Woranan WitthayapipopsakulInternational Health Policy Program, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
Khanitta KusreesakulInternational Health Policy Program, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
Divya LakhotiaInternational Health Policy Program, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
Viroj TangcharoensathienInternational Health Policy Program, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
Rapeepong SuphanchaimatDepartment of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
Ministry of Public Health · THLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesCOVID-19 infection increased nephrology-related risks and mortality rate among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. The pandemic also disrupted essential healthcare services. We aim to explore all-cause excess mortality among ESRD patients who were members of the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS), the largest public health insurance scheme in Thailand covering citizens who are not employed in the formal sector, including children and older persons.

designA cross-sectional study.

settingWe retrieved the dataset from the UCS claims database-electronic health records used for processing healthcare expense claims from medical facilities of all UCS members. This database links mortality outcome to civil registration. We employed the WHO's excess mortality methodology using pre-pandemic data to estimate expected deaths during the pandemic period (March 2020 to August 2022).

participantsThis study included ESRD patients from across Thailand, covered by the UCS. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Excess deaths are the difference between predicted and reported deaths.

resultsOver a 30-month period of the pandemic, the total number of all-cause excess deaths among ESRD patients was 4966 (male 1284; female 3682). The excess death per 100 000 ESRD patients was 3601 (male 2012; female 4969). The relative excess death was 5.7% of expected deaths (95% CI 1.7%, 10.0%). The excess deaths were highly concentrated among patients aged 65 and older.

conclusionESRD patients are significantly more vulnerable to pandemic-related mortality than the general population. Health systems' capacity to contain the pandemic at varying virulence and maintain essential health services for ESRD patients might be related to the size of excess deaths at different periods. The observed excess deaths highlight the importance of established strategies to reduce all-cause mortality such as rapid vaccine rollout for ESRD patients and sustaining dialysis and other essential services for older patients and other high-risk groups.

Indexed as

COVID-19Kidney Failure, ChronicAgedAged, 80 and overChildCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMortalityPandemicsRenal DialysisRisk FactorsThailandCOVID-19End stage renal failureMortality

Identifiers

PMID38272543
PMCPMC10824030
OpenAlexW4391218049

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.