Efficacy of colchicine treatment in COVID-19 patients: A case-control study

Abstract

Aim: Various clinical studies have been conducted on many alternative options in treating COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic process. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of colchicine treatment in patients hospitalized in clinical wards due to COVID-19. Methods: The study was retrospectively planned between October 2020 and October 2021. A total of 110 cases who received colchicine + standard treatment (favipiravir + corticosteroid + anticoagulant + symptomatic treatment) were included in the study group. The control group included randomly selected 220 patients who received only standard treatment. All cases' demographic characteristics, features of antibiotic and corticosteroid treatment, comorbidities, and clinical courses were recorded. Patients who received treatment for less than three days due to COVID-19, patients aged >95 years and <18 years, and those transferred to the clinical wards from the intensive care unit were excluded from the study. The groups were compared regarding treatment failure, including the number of intensive care unit admissions and mortality due to COVID-19 infection. Results: While the mean age was 59.4 years in the study group, it was 65.0 years in the control group (p=0.001). The most common coexisting disease was hypertension (63%). There were significant differences between the groups in the proportions of antibiotic use (p=0.002) and high-dose corticosteroid use (p=0.004). The values of white blood cell count (p=0.003), urea (p=0.029), D-dimer (p=0.021), creatine kinase-myocardial band (p=0.003) and troponin (p<0.001) were statistically different. There was no difference in terms of intensive care unit admission (p=0.174), the mortality rate (p=1.000), and treatment failure (p=0.505). Conclusion: According to the results of our study, colchicine treatment does not affect the prognosis of COVID-19 patients. There is a need for prospective studies investigating the role of colchicine treatment in COVID-19 infections.

Keywords

• COVID-19 virus infection
• colchicine
• mortality rate
• intensive care

COVID-19 hastalarında kolşisin tedavisinin etkinliği: Bir vaka-kontrol çalışması

Öz

Amaç: Pandemi sürecinin başlangıcından bu yana COVID-19 enfeksiyonu tedavisinde birçok alternatif seçenek üzerinde çeşitli klinik çalışmalar yapılmıştır. Çalışmanın amacı, COVID-19 nedeniyle hastaneye yatırılan ve yataklı serviste takip edilen hastalarda kolşisin tedavisinin etkinliğini araştırmaktır. Metot: Çalışma Ekim 2020 – Ekim 2021 tarihleri arasında retrospektif olarak planlandı. Çalışma grubuna kolşisin + standart tedavi (favipiravir + kortikosteroid + antikoagülan + semptomatik tedavi) alan 110 vaka, kontrol grubuna ise sadece standart tedavi alan 220 vaka rastgele dahil edildi. Tüm olguların demografik özellikleri, antibiyotik ve kortikosteroid kullanımı, komorbidite durumları ve klinik seyirleri kaydedildi. COVID-19 nedeniyle üç günden az tedavi görenler, 95 yaş üstü ve 18 yaş altı hastalar ve yoğun bakım ünitesinden servise alınan hastalar çalışma dışı bırakıldı. Gruplar yoğun bakım ünitesine yatış ve mortalite olarak tanımlanan COVID-109 enfeksiyonu tedavi başarısızlığı açısından karşılaştırıldı. Bulgular: Yaş ortalaması olgu grubunda 59,4 yıl ve kontrol grubunda 65,0 yıl idi (p=0,001). En sık görülen komorbidite durumu hipertansiyon (%63) idi. İki grup arasında antibiyotik (p=0,002) ve yüksek doz kortikosteroid kullanımı (p=0,004) açısından anlamlı farklılıklar vardı. Lökosit sayısı (p=0,003), üre (p=0,029), D-dimer (p= 0,021), kreatin kinaz-MB (p=0,003) ve troponin (p<0,001) değerlerinde istatistiksel anlamlı farklılıklar tespit edildi. Ancak yoğun bakım ünitesine yatış (p=0,174) ve ölüm oranı (p=1,000) ve bu iki klinik durum birlikte değerlendirildiğinde tedavi başarısızlığı (p=0,505) iki grup arasında fark izlenmedi. Sonuç: Çalışmamızın sonuçlarına göre kolşisin tedavisinin COVID-19 hastalarının prognozu üzerine etkisi yoktur. COVID-19 enfeksiyonu tedavisinde kolşisin tedavisinin tedavisinin rolünü araştıran prospektif çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• COVID-19 virüs enfeksiyonu
• kolşisin
• mortalite oranı
• yoğun bakım

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