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. 2020 Aug;50(5):397-400.
doi: 10.1016/j.medmal.2020.05.001. Epub 2020 May 6.

Tocilizumab therapy reduced intensive care unit admissions and/or mortality in COVID-19 patients

T Klopfenstein  1 , S Zayet  2 , A Lohse  3 , J-C Balblanc  3 , J Badie  4 , P-Y Royer  5 , L Toko  5 , C Mezher  4 , N J Kadiane-Oussou  5 , M Bossert  3 , A-M Bozgan  3 , A Charpentier  3 , M-F Roux  6 , R Contreras  6 , I Mazurier  7 , P Dussert  7 , V Gendrin  5 , T Conrozier  3 ; HNF Hospital Tocilizumab multidisciplinary team
Affiliations

Tocilizumab therapy reduced intensive care unit admissions and/or mortality in COVID-19 patients

T Klopfenstein et al. Med Mal Infect. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

Introduction: No therapy has yet proven effective in COVID-19. Tocilizumab (TCZ) in patients with severe COVID-19 could be an effective treatment.

Method: We conducted a retrospective case-control study in the Nord Franche-Comté Hospital, France. We compared the outcome of patients treated with TCZ and patients without TCZ considering a combined primary endpoint: death and/or ICU admissions.

Results: Patients with TCZ (n=20) had a higher Charlson comorbidity index (5.3 [±2.4] vs 3.4 [±2.6], P=0.014), presented with more severe forms (higher level of oxygen therapy at 13L/min vs 6L/min, P<0.001), and had poorer biological findings (severe lymphopenia: 676/mm3 vs 914/mm3, P=0.037 and higher CRP level: 158mg/L vs 105mg/L, P=0.017) than patients without TCZ (n=25). However, death and/or ICU admissions were higher in patients without TCZ than in the TCZ group (72% vs 25%, P=0.002).

Conclusion: Despite the small sample size and retrospective nature of the work, this result strongly suggests that TCZ may reduce the number of ICU admissions and/or mortality in patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

Keywords: COVID-19; Intensive care unit; Mortality; SARS-CoV-2; Tocilizumab.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Outcome in the tocilizumab (TCZ) group and in the standard treatment (ST) group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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