Int J Infect Dis. 2020 Dec 14:S1201-9712(20)32544-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.12.021. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical outcomes in patients with critical COVID-19 pneumonia requiring invasive mechanical ventilation who were treated with tocilizumab DESIGN: Single-center retrospective cohort study SETTING: Stony Brook University Hospital, a 600 bed academic tertiary medical center in Suffolk County, New York PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive patients with COVID-19 confirmed by nasopharyngeal PCR who were admitted to Stony Brook University Hospital between March 10th and April 2nd and required mechanical ventilation in any intensive care unit during their hospitalization EXPOSURE: Treatment with tocilizumab while intubated MAIN OUTCOME: Overall mortality 30 days from the date of intubation RESULTS: Forty-five patients received tocilizumab compared to seventy controls. Baseline demographic characteristics, inflammatory markers, treatment with corticosteroids, and SOFA scores were similar between the two cohorts. Patients who received tocilizumab had significantly lower Charlson co-morbidity index (2.0 versus 3.0, p = 0.01) than controls. There was a trend towards younger mean age in the tocilizumab exposed group (56.2 versus 60.6, p = 0.09). In logistic regression analysis there was no reduction in mortality associated with receipt of tocilizumab (OR 1.04, 95% C.I. 0.27 - 3.75). There was no observed increased risk of secondary infection in patients given tocilizumab (28.9 versus 25.7, OR = 1.1736, 95% C.I. = 0.507 - 2.714).
CONCLUSION: When controlling for age, severity of illness, and co-morbidities, tocilizumab was not associated with reduction in mortality in this retrospective cohort study of mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Further studies are needed to determine the role of tocilizumab in the treatment of COVID-19.
PMID:33333252 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijid.2020.12.021