N-acetylcysteine as adjuvant therapy for hospitalized Covid-19 patients: A single-center prospective cohort study

Afaghi et al., Caspian J Intern Med, doi:10.22088/cjim.14.3.553, Jun 2023
Late treatmentProspective · 462 patients · Iran · Jun 2020 – Mar 2021
N-acetylcysteine for COVID-19
Outcome
Improvement
Relative Risk · 95% CI
Shorter hospitalization with N-acetylcysteine
p = 0.002

N-acetylcysteine for COVID-19

15th treatment shown to reduce risk in February 2021, now with p = 0.000002 from 26 studies, recognized in 3 countries.

No treatment is 100% effective.
Protocols combine treatments.

Prospective study of 217 patients treated with NAC and 245 matched controls, showing improved recovery with treatment. 1500mg intravenous NAC daily.
OutcomeImprovementEffect · pTreatmentControl
risk of death 29.4% lower · RR 0.71 · p = 0.42 29.4% lowerRR 0.71p = 0.42 10 of 217 (4.6%) 16 of 245 (6.5%) treatment 10 of 217 (4.6%), control 16 of 245 (6.5%)NNT 52
risk of mechanical ventilation 41.1% lower · RR 0.59 · p = 0.16 41.1% lowerRR 0.59p = 0.16 12 of 217 (5.5%) 23 of 245 (9.4%) treatment 12 of 217 (5.5%), control 23 of 245 (9.4%)NNT 26
risk of ICU admission 20.1% lower · RR 0.80 · p = 0.36 20.1% lowerRR 0.80p = 0.36 29 of 217 (13.4%) 41 of 245 (16.7%) treatment 29 of 217 (13.4%), control 41 of 245 (16.7%)NNT 30
hospitalization time 13.6% lower · relative time 0.86 · p = 0.002** 13.6% lowerrelative time 0.86p = 0.002** 217 245 treatment 217, control 245
relative ΔSpO2 57.1% lower · RR 0.43 · 57.1% lowerRR 0.43 217 245 treatment 217, control 245relative improvement in SpO2day 10

Effect extraction follows pre-specified rules prioritizing more serious outcomes. Submit updates. ** p < 0.01

Afaghi et al., 1 Jun 2023, prospective, Iran, peer-reviewed, 10 authors, study period 1 June, 2020 - 13 March, 2021, average treatment delay 6.0 days.
$0 $500 $1,000+ Efficacy vs. cost for COVID-19 treatment protocols c19early.org November 2026 Iran Angola Colombia Kenya Mozambique Myanmar South Africa Peru Philippines USA Brazil France Italy Canada Pakistan Spain Vietnam Japan Nepal Bangladesh Ethiopia Ghana Germany Mexico South Korea United Kingdom Saudi Arabia Algeria Morocco Yemen Poland Uzbekistan India China Venezuela DR Congo Madagascar Thailand Uganda Egypt Nigeria Taiwan Fiji Zambia Bosnia-Herzegovina Dominican Republic Bolivia Côte d'Ivoire Eritrea Togo Bulgaria Greece Slovakia Iceland New Zealand Trinidad and Tobago Mongolia Czechia Belarus Israel Haiti North Macedonia Hong Kong Qatar Panama Serbia Iran favored high-profit treatments.The average efficacy of treatments was moderate.High-cost protocols reduce early treatment, andforgo complementary/synergistic benefits. More effective More expensive 75% 50% 25% ≤0%
$0 $500 $1,000+ Efficacy vs. cost for COVID-19treatment protocols worldwide c19early.org November 2026 Iran Angola Colombia Kenya Mozambique Myanmar South Africa Peru Philippines USA Brazil France Italy Canada Pakistan Spain Vietnam Japan Bangladesh Ethiopia Ghana Germany Mexico South Korea United Kingdom Saudi Arabia Algeria Morocco Yemen Poland Uzbekistan India China Venezuela DR Congo Madagascar Thailand Uganda Egypt Taiwan Fiji Zambia Dominican Rep. Bolivia Côte d'Ivoire Eritrea Togo Sri Lanka Bulgaria Greece Slovakia New Zealand Trinidad and Tobago Mongolia Czechia Belarus Israel North Macedonia Hong Kong Qatar Panama Serbia Iran favored high-profit treatments.The average efficacy was moderate.High-cost protocols reduce early treatment,and forgo complementary/synergistic benefits. More effective More expensive 75% 50% 25% ≤0%
N-acetylcysteine as adjuvant therapy for hospitalized Covid-19 patients: A single-center prospective cohort study
MD Siamak Afaghi, MD Negin Moghimi, Nasser Malekpour, MD Fatemeh Sadat Rahimi, MD Rana Irilouzadian, MD, MPH Farzad Esmaeili Tarki, PhD Morvarid Moghimi, MD Sara Besharat, Hossein Salehi, MD Anita Karimi
doi:10.22088/cjim.14.3.553
Background: Whilst over two years have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic's emergence, the proper management of the disease remains challenging. Nacetylcysteine (NAC) as a potentially effective therapeutic option has been suggested by studies, while the exact clinical role of this agent is yet to be evaluated. Methods: This prospective case-control study was conducted in a major referral respiratory center in Tehran, Iran. We enrolled 217 patients treated with an intravenous daily dose of 1500 mg NAC as a case group; and 245 control patients who did not receive NAC. Two groups were matched based on other treatments, sociodemographics, medical history, and comorbidities. Results: After ten days of adjuvant therapy with NAC, patients in the NAC group and control group had median room-air SpO2 of 91% and 88%, respectively (P=0.02). Also, the SpO2 to FiO2 ratio had a median of 463 and 421 in the case and control groups, respectively (P=0.01). Furthermore, the case group's hospitalization period was three days shorter (P=0.002). Further, cough, dyspnea, and decreased appetite were reported to have a significantly lower incidence in the case group (P=0.03, 0.001, 0.008). Conclusion: We showed that a daily intravenous dose of NAC in hospitalized COVID-19 patients could shorten the hospital stay and improve some clinical symptoms; however, it does not remarkably improve the risk of ICU admission and the 28 days inhospital mortality rate.
Conflict of Interests
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Late treatment
is less effective