Hospital-based group medical quarantine increased the pre-dialysis blood pressure in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Background: Quarantine is an effective measure to contain the spread of infectious disease, however, it can be a great challenge for patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of hospital-based group medical quarantine (H-GMQ) on blood pressure (BP) in MHD patients, and the effect of age on change in BP. Methods: MHD patients in our dialysis center who were under H-GMQ due to exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were enrolled. Their demographic data, clinical characteristics, and laboratory data were collected from 3 months before H-GMQ to the end of H-GMQ. They were divided into two groups by median age (61 y). BP and related data before and during H-GMQ between groups were analyzed. The association between age and change in BP was estimated using multivariable linear regression analysis. Results: One hundred and thirty MHD patients were enrolled. The pre-dialysis systolic BP (SBP) and heart rate (HR) during H-GMQ were significantly higher than before, the serum sodium decreased significantly at the end of H-GMQ. After adjusting for covariates by multivariable regression, age had a negative correlation with BP elevation (R-2=0.218, P=0.246). Subgroup analysis showed that both pre-dialysis SBP and diastolic BP (DBP) increased significantly during H-GMQ in patients less than 61 years old, instead, neither SBP nor DBP changed in the elderly. Conclusions: H-GMQ increased the pre-dialysis BP in MHD patients, especially in younger patients. More attention should be paid to these patients' BP if another quarantine is needed.