tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Ann Pharmacother
. 2022 May 19;10600280221094571.
doi: 10.1177/10600280221094571. Online ahead of print.
The Use of High-Dose Corticosteroids Versus Low-Dose Corticosteroids With and Without Tocilizumab in COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Alyson Katz[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Diana Altshuler[SUP] 1 [/SUP], John Papadopoulos[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nancy Amoroso[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ronald Goldenberg[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Elizabeth Tarras[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kelsey Krolikowski[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jacklyn Hagedorn[SUP] 2 [/SUP], David Fridman[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Xian Jie Cindy Chen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Eduardo Iturrate[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Shari B Brosnahan[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Corticosteroids and tocilizumab have been shown to improve survival in patients who require supplemental oxygen from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. The optimal dose of immunosuppression for the treatment of COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is still unknown.
Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of high- versus low-dose corticosteroids with or without tocilizumab for the treatment of COVID-19 ARDS.
Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) requiring mechanical ventilation who received high- versus low-dose corticosteroids with or without tocilizumab. The primary outcome was survival to discharge. Safety outcomes included infections and incidence of hyperglycemia.
Results: In this cohort, 110 (54%) and 95 (46%) patients received high-dose (≥10 mg dexamethasone equivalent) and low-dose (<10 mg dexamethasone equivalent) corticosteroids for more than 3 consecutive days, respectively. Thirty-five patients (32%) in the high-dose group and 33 patients (35%) in the low-dose group survived to hospital discharge (P = 0.85). There was no difference in 28-day mortality in patients who received high-dose corticosteroids without tocilizumab compared with those who received low-dose corticosteroids with tocilizumab (n = 38/82, 46% vs n = 19/40, 48% P = 0.99); however, there was a higher mortality if patients received low-dose corticosteroids without tocilizumab (n = 39/55, 71%, P = 0.01). The highest rate of a bacterial pneumonia was in patients who received high-dose corticosteroids with tocilizumab.
Conclusions: In critically ill patients with COVID-19 ARDS requiring mechanical ventilation, we found no difference in high- versus low-dose corticosteroids with regard to survival to hospital discharge. However, patients receiving only low-dose corticosteroids without tocilizumab did worse than the other groups. Larger prospective studies are needed to determine the optimal immunosuppression dosing strategy in this patient population.
Keywords: COVID-19; acute respiratory distress syndrome; corticosteroids; critical care; mechanical ventilation; pharmacology.
. 2022 May 19;10600280221094571.
doi: 10.1177/10600280221094571. Online ahead of print.
The Use of High-Dose Corticosteroids Versus Low-Dose Corticosteroids With and Without Tocilizumab in COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Alyson Katz[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Diana Altshuler[SUP] 1 [/SUP], John Papadopoulos[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nancy Amoroso[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ronald Goldenberg[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Elizabeth Tarras[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kelsey Krolikowski[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jacklyn Hagedorn[SUP] 2 [/SUP], David Fridman[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Xian Jie Cindy Chen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Eduardo Iturrate[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Shari B Brosnahan[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35590468
- DOI: 10.1177/10600280221094571
Abstract
Background: Corticosteroids and tocilizumab have been shown to improve survival in patients who require supplemental oxygen from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. The optimal dose of immunosuppression for the treatment of COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is still unknown.
Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of high- versus low-dose corticosteroids with or without tocilizumab for the treatment of COVID-19 ARDS.
Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) requiring mechanical ventilation who received high- versus low-dose corticosteroids with or without tocilizumab. The primary outcome was survival to discharge. Safety outcomes included infections and incidence of hyperglycemia.
Results: In this cohort, 110 (54%) and 95 (46%) patients received high-dose (≥10 mg dexamethasone equivalent) and low-dose (<10 mg dexamethasone equivalent) corticosteroids for more than 3 consecutive days, respectively. Thirty-five patients (32%) in the high-dose group and 33 patients (35%) in the low-dose group survived to hospital discharge (P = 0.85). There was no difference in 28-day mortality in patients who received high-dose corticosteroids without tocilizumab compared with those who received low-dose corticosteroids with tocilizumab (n = 38/82, 46% vs n = 19/40, 48% P = 0.99); however, there was a higher mortality if patients received low-dose corticosteroids without tocilizumab (n = 39/55, 71%, P = 0.01). The highest rate of a bacterial pneumonia was in patients who received high-dose corticosteroids with tocilizumab.
Conclusions: In critically ill patients with COVID-19 ARDS requiring mechanical ventilation, we found no difference in high- versus low-dose corticosteroids with regard to survival to hospital discharge. However, patients receiving only low-dose corticosteroids without tocilizumab did worse than the other groups. Larger prospective studies are needed to determine the optimal immunosuppression dosing strategy in this patient population.
Keywords: COVID-19; acute respiratory distress syndrome; corticosteroids; critical care; mechanical ventilation; pharmacology.