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Review
. 2020 Jun 3;21(4):760-763.
doi: 10.5811/westjem.2020.5.47810.

Brief Review of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine Toxicity and Management

Jacob A Lebin  1 , Kathy T LeSaint  1
Affiliations
Review

Brief Review of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine Toxicity and Management

Jacob A Lebin et al. West J Emerg Med. .

Abstract

As of April 21, 2020, more than 2.5 million cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, have been reported in 210 countries and territories, with the death toll at 171,810. Both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have gained considerable media attention as possible therapies, resulting in a significant surge in demand. In overdose, both medications can cause severe, potentially life-threatening effects. Here, we present a brief overview of the pharmacology of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, manifestations of toxicity, and treatment considerations.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: By the WestJEM article submission agreement, all authors are required to disclose all affiliations, funding sources and financial or management relationships that could be perceived as potential sources of bias. No author has professional or financial relationships with any companies that are relevant to this study. There are no conflicts of interest or sources of funding to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Structural comparison of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Electrocardiogram from patient with acute hydroxychloroquine overdose demonstrating QRS interval widening (QRS interval = 254 milliseconds).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

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