A comprehensive strategy for the early treatment of COVID-19 with azithromycin/hydroxychloroquine and/or corticosteroids: Results of a retrospective observational study in the French overseas department of Réunion Island
Arthur Dubernet, Kevin Larsen, Laurie Masse, Jérôme Allyn, Emilie Foch, Lea Bruneau, Adrien Maillot, Marie Lagrange-Xelot, Vincent Thomas, Marie-Christine Jaffar-Bandjee, Loraine Gauzere, Loic Raffray, Karine Borsu, Servane Dibernardo, Stéphane Renaud, Michel André, Diane Moreau, Julien Jabot, Nathalie Coolen-Allou, Nicolas Allou
Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance, doi:10.1016/j.jgar.2020.08.001
Background: This study aimed to evaluate the prognosis of COVID-19 patients in Reunion Island, with a particular focus on the management of patients with hypoxemic pneumonia. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted from 11 March to 17 April 2020 at the only hospital authorized to manage patients with COVID-19 in Reunion Island. Results: Over the study period, 164 out of 398 patients (41.2%) infected with COVID-19 were admitted to Félix Guyon University Hospital. Of these, 36 (22%) developed hypoxemic pneumonia. Patients with hypoxemic pneumonia were aged 66 [56-77] years, 69% were male and 33% had hypertension. Ten patients (27.8%) were hospitalized in intensive care unit (ICU). Hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin treatment was associated with a lower ICU admission rate (P = 0.008). None of the 6 patients treated with corticosteroids were hospitalized in ICU (P = 0.16). There were no deaths at follow up (minimum 80 days). Conclusions: Despite the risk profile of COVID-19 patients with severe hypoxemic pneumonia, the mortality rate of the disease in Reunion Island was 0%. This may be due to the care bundle used in our hospital (early hospitalisation, treatment with hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin and/or corticosteroids, non-invasive respiratory support, etc).
Competing interest None declared.
Ethical approval This observational study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the French Society of Pulmonary Medicine and was declared to the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (French Data Protection Agency or CNIL MR004) [No. 2, 206, 739] . Written and verbal informed consent was obtained from all patients.
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