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c19early.org COVID-19 treatment researchInhaled HeparinInhaled Heparin (more..)
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A randomised, open-label trial of nebulised unfractionated heparin in patients mechanically ventilated for COVID-19

Smith et al., Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, doi:10.1177/0310057X251322783, Mar 2025
https://c19early.org/smith5.html
Mortality, day 60 -70% improvement lower risk ← → higher risk Mortality, day 28 15% Inhaled Heparin  Smith et al.  INTUBATED PATIENTS  RCT Is very late treatment with inhaled heparin beneficial? RCT 50 patients in Australia (July 2020 - March 2022) Trial underpowered to detect differences c19early.org Smith et al., Anaesthesia and Intensiv.., Mar 2025 0 0.5 1 1.5 2+ RR
58th treatment shown to reduce risk in October 2025, now with p = 0.0077 from 3 studies.
Lower risk for mortality, ventilation, and hospitalization.
No treatment is 100% effective. Protocols combine treatments.
6,200+ studies for 180+ treatments. c19early.org
RCT 50 intubated COVID-19 patients showing no improvement with inhaled nebulized unfractionated heparin. Time to separation
from invasive ventilation among survivors to day 28 was significantly slower in the heparin group.
risk of death, 70.4% higher, RR 1.70, p = 1.00, treatment 2 of 27 (7.4%), control 1 of 23 (4.3%), day 60.
risk of death, 14.8% lower, RR 0.85, p = 1.00, treatment 1 of 27 (3.7%), control 1 of 23 (4.3%), NNT 155, day 28.
Effect extraction follows pre-specified rules prioritizing more serious outcomes. Submit updates
Smith et al., 27 Mar 2025, Randomized Controlled Trial, Australia, peer-reviewed, median age 55.0, 8 authors, study period 1 July, 2020 - 23 March, 2022.
$0 $500 $1,000+ Efficacy vs. cost for COVID-19 treatment protocols c19early.org November 2025 Australia Russia Sudan Angola Colombia Kenya Mozambique Vietnam Peru Philippines Spain Brazil Italy France Japan Canada China Uzbekistan Nepal Ethiopia Iran Ghana Mexico South Korea Germany Bangladesh Saudi Arabia Algeria Morocco Yemen Poland India DR Congo Madagascar Thailand Uganda Venezuela Nigeria Egypt Bolivia Taiwan Zambia Fiji Bosnia-Herzegovina Ukraine Côte d'Ivoire Bulgaria Greece Slovakia Singapore Iceland New Zealand Czechia Mongolia Israel Trinidad and Tobago Hong Kong North Macedonia Belarus Qatar Panama Serbia CAR Australia favored high-profit treatments.The average efficacy of treatments was very low.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 2025 Australia Russia Sudan Angola Colombia Kenya Mozambique Vietnam Peru Philippines Spain Brazil Italy France Japan Canada China Uzbekistan Nepal Ethiopia Iran Ghana Mexico South Korea Germany Bangladesh Saudi Arabia Algeria Morocco Yemen Poland India DR Congo Madagascar Thailand Uganda Venezuela Nigeria Egypt Bolivia Zambia Fiji Ukraine Côte d'Ivoire Eritrea Bulgaria Greece Slovakia Singapore New Zealand Malawi Czechia Mongolia Israel Trinidad and Tobago North Macedonia Belarus Qatar Panama Serbia Syria Australia favored high-profit treatments.The average efficacy was very low.High-cost protocols reduce early treatment,and forgo complementary/synergistic benefits. More effective More expensive 75% 50% 25% ≤0%
DOI record: { "DOI": "10.1177/0310057x251322783", "ISSN": [ "0310-057X", "1448-0271" ], "URL": "http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0310057X251322783", "abstract": "<jats:p>\n Nebulised unfractionated heparin (UFH) might reduce time to ventilator separation in patients with COVID-19 by reducing virus infectivity, pulmonary coagulopathy, and inflammation, but clinical trial data are limited. Between 1 July 2020 and 23 March 2022, we conducted, at two hospitals in Victoria, Australia, a randomised, parallel-group, open-label, controlled trial of nebulised UFH. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or more, intubated, under intensive care unit management, had a P\n <jats:sub>a</jats:sub>\n O\n <jats:sub>2</jats:sub>\n to F\n <jats:sub>I</jats:sub>\n O\n <jats:sub>2</jats:sub>\n ratio of 300 or less, had acute opacities affecting at least one lung quadrant and attributed to COVID-19, and were polymerase chain reaction-positive for SARS-CoV-2 or had further testing planned. The target sample size was 270, however, the trial was stopped due to slow recruitment. There were 50 enrolments, all of whom were analysed. The median age was 55 (interquartile range (IQR) 46–64) years, 28 (56%) were males, and 46 (92%) had acute respiratory distress syndrome. Twenty-seven (54%) were randomised to nebulised heparin and 23 (46%) to standard care. Nebulised UFH was administered to the heparin group on 6 (IQR 4–10) days; median daily dose of 83 (IQR 75–88) kIU. The primary outcome, time to separation from invasive ventilation to day 28 adjusted for the competing risk of death, was not significantly different between groups but took numerically longer in the nebulised heparin group (12.0, standard deviation (SD) 10.4 days versus 7.4, SD 6.9 days; hazard ratio (HR) 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31 to 1.01,\n <jats:italic>P</jats:italic>\n  = 0.052). One patient died by day 28 in each group, fewer than expected. Time to separation from invasive ventilation among survivors to day 28 occurred more quickly than expected in the standard care group and was, without correction for multiple comparisons, significantly slower in the heparin group (11.3, SD 10.0 days,\n <jats:italic>n</jats:italic>\n  = 26 versus 6.4, SD 5.2 days,\n <jats:italic>n</jats:italic>\n  = 22; HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.92,\n <jats:italic>P</jats:italic>\n  = 0.024). Nebulised heparin did not reduce time to ventilator separation in intubated adult patients with COVID-19. The study is limited by the small sample size and potential for sampling bias. Further study is required.\n </jats:p>", "alternative-id": [ "10.1177/0310057X251322783" ], "author": [ { "ORCID": "https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9356-2285", "affiliation": [ { "name": "Department of Critical Care Medicine, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy VIC, Australia" } ], "authenticated-orcid": false, "family": "Smith", "given": "Roger J", "sequence": "first" }, { "ORCID": "https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2067-7276", "affiliation": [ { "name": "Intensive Care Unit, Northern Hospital, Epping, VIC, Australia" } ], "authenticated-orcid": false, "family": "Ghosh", "given": "Angajendra N", "sequence": "additional" }, { "affiliation": [ { "name": "Intensive Care Unit, Northern Hospital, Epping, VIC, Australia" } ], "family": "Said", "given": "Simone", "sequence": "additional" }, { "affiliation": [ { "name": "Medical School, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia" } ], "family": "van Haren", "given": "Frank MP", "sequence": "additional" }, { "affiliation": [ { "name": "Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Galway University Hospitals and University of Galway, Galway, Ireland" } ], "family": "Laffey", "given": "John G", "sequence": "additional" }, { "affiliation": [ { "name": "Northern Clinical School Intensive Care Research Unit, University of Sydney, St Leonards, NSW, Australia" } ], "family": "Doig", "given": "Gordon S", "sequence": "additional" }, { "ORCID": "https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7106-5141", "affiliation": [ { "name": "Department of Critical Care Medicine, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy VIC, Australia" } ], "authenticated-orcid": false, "family": "Santamaria", "given": "John D", "sequence": "additional" }, { "affiliation": [ { "name": "Department of Critical Care Medicine, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy VIC, Australia" } ], "family": "Dixon", "given": "Barry", "sequence": "additional" } ], "container-title": "Anaesthesia and Intensive Care", "container-title-short": "Anaesth Intensive Care", "content-domain": { 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Late treatment
is less effective
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