A case of effective intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy against severe COVID-19 infection after arteriovenous graft surgery

Abstract

Perioperative COVID-19 infections in patients suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are more likely to become severe, with a high mortality rate, than those in other patients. For such patients, corticosteroid therapy is one of the limited number of treatment options. We experienced a case of ESRD in which COVID-19 infection immediately followed arteriovenous graft surgery. Although the respiratory condition deteriorated following dexamethasone administration, requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy (pulse therapy) improved it dramatically, suggesting that pulse therapy may be effective against severe COVID-19 infection in patients suffering from ESRD.