Proteinuria in Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome: A Frequent Finding Linked To Mortality

Objectives: To determine the relative frequency and prognosis value of proteinuria in hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) due to Andes virus.

Methods: This observational analytical study prospectively obtained data from patients admitted to 12 health centers in nine Chilean cities between 2001 and 2018. Only patients with confirmed Andes virus HCPS and laboratory characterization that included qualitative proteinuria determination at admission were considered.

Results: The database involved 175 patients, 95 of them had a measurement of urine protein at the time of hospital admission. They were mainly male (71%) and the median age was 35 [22-47] years. Median duration of the febrile prodromal time was 5 [4-7] days. Hospital length of stay and hospital mortality rate were 10 [7-14] days and 21.1%, respectively. Seventy-three patients (77%) were identified with proteinuria at admission, which was associated with increased mortality rate (26% versus 5%, p=0.036) and the relative risk was 1.3 [1.1-1.6], p=0.002.

Conclusions: Proteinuria is a frequent finding in patients with HCPS, which is associated with a higher mortality rate.