Hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin and early hospital admission are beneficial in COVID-19 patients: Turkish experience with real-life data
Tanriverdi et al.,
Hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin and early hospital admission are beneficial in COVID-19 patients: Turkish..,
Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences, doi:doi:10.3906/sag-2005-82
Retrospective 83 hospitalized patients in Turkey confirming that earlier treatment is better, and showing that the addition of AZ to HCQ reduced hospitalization time.
Tanriverdi et al., 26 Feb 2021, peer-reviewed, 8 authors.
Abstract: Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences
http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/medical/
Research Article
Turk J Med Sci
(2021) 51: 10-15
© TÜBİTAK
doi:10.3906/sag-2005-82
Hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin and early hospital admission are beneficial in
COVID-19 patients: Turkish experience with real-life data
Elif TANRIVERDİ*, Mustafa ÇÖRTÜK, Binnaz Zeynep YILDIRIM, Efsun Gonca UĞUR CHOUSEIN,
Demet TURAN, Halit ÇINARKA, Mehmet Akif ÖZGÜL, Erdoğan ÇETİNKAYA
Department of Pulmonology, University of Health Sciences Yedikule Pulmonary Diseases and
Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
Received: 06.05.2020
Accepted/Published Online: 18.07.2020
Final Version: 26.02.2021
Background/aim: New treatment regimens for COVID-19, which has threatened the world recently, continue to be investigated.
Although some of the treatments are promising, it is thought to be early to state that there is definitive treatment. Experiences and
treatment protocol studies from treatment centers are still important. The aim of this study is to evaluate factors affecting the treatment
process of the first cases followed in our clinic.
Materials and methods: The consecutive hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were analyzed in this retrospective and
cross-sectional study. Data were recorded from the electronic and written files of patients.
Results: Eighty-three patients were evaluated. The median age was 50 ± 15 years. Forty-eight (57.8%) patients had one or more
comorbidities. The most common comorbidity was hypertension. The most common symptom was cough in 58 patients (70%). The
overall mortality was 15%, and 85% of the patients were discharged. The time between the onset of symptoms and hospitalization
was statistically significantly longer in deceased patients (P = 0.039). Age, D-Dimer, troponin, CK, CK-MB, ferritin, procalcitonin,
and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio were statistically significantly higher in deceased patients than survivor patients. In subgroup
analysis, in the patients receiving azithromycin plus hydroxychloroquine and other antibiotics plus hydroxychloroquine, the duration of
hospitalization was shorter in the azithromycin group (P = 0.027).
Conclusion: Early treatment and early admission to the hospital can be crucial for the better treatment process. Combination therapy
with azithromycin may be preferred in the first treatment choice because it can shorten the length of hospital stay.
Key words: COVID-19, pneumonia, azithromycin, hydroxychloroquine, treatment, mortality, biomarkers
Late treatment
is less effective
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