The Potential Role of Colchicine in Reducing Mortality and Mechanical Ventilation Rates in COVID-19 Infection: A Meta-analysis

DOI record: { "DOI": "10.9734/jammr/2022/v34i2031503", "ISSN": [ "2456-8899" ], "URL": "http://dx.doi.org/10.9734/jammr/2022/v34i2031503", "abstract": "<jats:p>Background: Colchicine is one of many drugs being repurposed for COVID-19 due to its potential as an anti-inflammatory agent alongside its easy accessibility and oral administration. This study aims to identify the risk reduction in mortality and mechanical ventilation of colchicine-treated COVID-19 patients compared to the standard of care/placebo.&#x0D;\nMethods: A systematic search was conducted until December 31, 2021, with keywords including Colchicine, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, anti-inflammatory, trials, clinical, mechanical ventilation, death, and mortality. Databases including MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL Plus, Cochrane, WHO Global Database, and Preprint servers were searched. Using dichotomous data for all values, the risk ratios (RR) were calculated by applying the random-effects model in Review Manager 5.4.&#x0D;\nResults: The 12 studies pooled 17,297 participants, with 8,528 patients in the colchicine group and 8,769 in the standard care group. Colchicine treatment led to a statistically significant reduction in the risk of death (RR=0.63, 95% CI=0.48-0.84, P=0.001). Moderately high heterogeneity was present among the included studies (I2=72%). While insignificant, the risk of mechanical ventilation was decreased by 12% among the colchicine group (RR=0.88, 95% CI=0.64-1.22, P=0.44).&#x0D;\nConclusions: While this meta-analysis finds overall reductions in mortality with colchicine treatment, these findings must be utilized with caution. Placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials are warranted at a large scale to validate the viability of colchicine as an adjuvant treatment for COVID-19. On obtaining more concrete findings, the potential role of colchicine may be better optimized in non-severe patients as well, across in-hospital and outpatient settings.</jats:p>", "author": [ { "affiliation": [], "family": "Rai", "given": "Shilpa", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Nijjar", "given": "Shahbaz Singh", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "T. OJinna", "given": "Blessing", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Mukhtar", "given": "Iqra", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Ahmed", "given": "Maryam", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Tobalesi", "given": "Opeyemi", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Singh", "given": "Prerna", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Adefashola", "given": "Olamide", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "O. Aboaba", "given": "Abiodun", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Waqar", "given": "Danish", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Ndove", "given": "Jeffrey", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Ferguson", "given": "Frederick", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Adedoyin", "given": "Adewale Mark", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Batti", "given": "Patrick", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Zafar", "given": "Hammad", "sequence": "first" } ], "container-title": "Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research", "container-title-short": "JAMMR", "content-domain": { "crossmark-restriction": false, "domain": [] }, "created": { "date-parts": [ [ 2022, 7, 30 ] ], "date-time": "2022-07-30T04:40:59Z", "timestamp": 1659156059000 }, "deposited": { "date-parts": [ [ 2022, 7, 30 ] ], "date-time": "2022-07-30T04:41:00Z", "timestamp": 1659156060000 }, "indexed": { "date-parts": [ [ 2022, 7, 30 ] ], "date-time": "2022-07-30T05:13:00Z", "timestamp": 1659157980483 }, "is-referenced-by-count": 0, "issued": { "date-parts": [ [ 2022, 7, 27 ] ] }, "link": [ { "URL": "https://journaljammr.com/index.php/JAMMR/article/download/31503/59027", "content-type": "application/pdf", "content-version": "vor", "intended-application": "text-mining" }, { "URL": "https://journaljammr.com/index.php/JAMMR/article/download/31503/59028", "content-type": "unspecified", "content-version": "vor", "intended-application": "text-mining" }, { "URL": "https://journaljammr.com/index.php/JAMMR/article/download/31503/59027", "content-type": "unspecified", "content-version": "vor", "intended-application": "similarity-checking" } ], "member": "4694", "original-title": [], "page": "349-358", "prefix": "10.9734", "published": { "date-parts": [ [ 2022, 7, 27 ] ] }, "published-online": { "date-parts": [ [ 2022, 7, 27 ] ] }, "publisher": "Sciencedomain International", "reference-count": 0, "references-count": 0, "relation": {}, "resource": { "primary": { "URL": "https://journaljammr.com/index.php/JAMMR/article/view/31503" } }, "score": 1, "short-title": [], "source": "Crossref", "subject": [ "General Medicine" ], "subtitle": [], "title": "The Potential Role of Colchicine in Reducing Mortality and Mechanical Ventilation Rates in COVID-19 Infection: A Meta-analysis", "type": "journal-article" }