Effect of chronic hydroxychloroquine use on COVID-19 risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus: a multicenter retrospective cohort
Walbi et al.,
Effect of chronic hydroxychloroquine use on COVID-19 risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic..,
Journal of International Medical Research, doi:10.1177/03000605221090363
Retrospective RA/SLE patients in Saudi Arabia. Numbers in this paper are contradictory. Figure 1 and the introduction to the results indicate 304 HCQ users, while Table 1 and later in the results shows 207 (arms switched). The subsequent text reporting the ICU results (2 non-HCQ-users, zero HCQ users) suggests that the labels are switched in Figure 2, or possibly just specific results.
This study is excluded in meta
analysis:
unresolved data inconsistency.
Walbi et al., 6 Apr 2022, retrospective, Saudi Arabia, peer-reviewed, 16 authors, study period March 2020 - February 2021.
Abstract: Retrospective Clinical Research Report
Effect of chronic
hydroxychloroquine use on
COVID-19 risk in patients
with rheumatoid arthritis
and systemic lupus
erythematosus: a multicenter
retrospective cohort
Journal of International Medical Research
50(4) 1–13
! The Author(s) 2022
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DOI: 10.1177/03000605221090363
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Ismail A. Walbi1, Hassan A. Albarqi2,
Nayef Saleh Alghanim3,
Marzooq Abdullah Albadi4,
Hesham Mohammed Al Maimouni5,6,
Saad Ahmed Alkahtani1, Ali Mohamed Alshabi1,
Amer S. Alali7, Faleh Alqahtani8,
Amal Hassan Al-Najjar9,
Mohammad A Hazzazi6,10, Deemah S Alanazi11,
Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Sabei12,
Omer S Alsaweed13, Rahaf K Alajra13 and
Hussain Alqhtani1
8
1
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy,
Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
2
Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy,
Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
3
Consultant, Rheumatology Department, King Saud
Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
4
Consultant internist and rheumatologist, Security Forces
Hospital Program, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
5
Consultant, Rheumatology, Division of Rheumatology,
Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
6
Assistant Professor of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz
University of Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard
Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
7
Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy,
Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-kharj, 11942,
Saudi Arabia
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of
Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451,
Saudi Arabia
9
Drug & Poison Information Center Supervisor, Security
Forces Hospital Program, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
10
Vitreoretinal Division, Department of Vitreoretinal,
King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
11
Senior Pharmacist, Pharmaceutical Care Services, King
Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
12
Senior Registrar, Ministry of Health, First Health cluster,
Western Riyadh Dental Complex, Periodontic Division,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
13
Laboratory Services, Security Forces Hospital Program,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Corresponding author:
Hussain Alqhtani, Department of Clinical Pharmacy,
College of Pharmacy, Najran University, King Abdulaziz
Road P.O. Box 1988, Najran, Saudi Arabia.
Email: hmhalqhtani@nu.edu.sa
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non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed
as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
2
Journal of International Medical Research
Abstract
Objective: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been used during the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) pandemic because of its reported anti-viral activity. This study examined the association of chronic HCQ use with the incidence and complications of COVID-19.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adults with rheumatoid arthritis and/or
systemic lupus erythematosus who visited rheumatology clinics in three tertiary hospitals in
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between January 2019 and December 2020. Patients were categorized
into two groups based on HCQ use. Data were obtained from the electronic health record
and by..
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