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. 2023 Jul;27(7):517-521.
doi: 10.5005/jp-journals-10071-24482.

Effect of Cyproheptadine on Ventilatory Support-free Days in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19: An Open-label, Randomized Clinical Trial

Márcio Manozzo Boniatti  1 , Wagner Luis Nedel  1 , Marcos Frata Rihl  1 , Patricia Schwarz  1 , Edino Parolo  1 , Miriane Melo Silveira Moretti  1 , Thiago Costa Lisboa  1
Affiliations

Effect of Cyproheptadine on Ventilatory Support-free Days in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19: An Open-label, Randomized Clinical Trial

Márcio Manozzo Boniatti et al. Indian J Crit Care Med. 2023 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Serotonin is a mediator of pulmonary hypoxic vasoconstriction. Experimental studies have shown that serotonin-mediated pulmonary vasoconstriction can be inhibited by cyproheptadine. The aim of this study is to assess whether treatment with cyproheptadine compared to usual care increases ventilatory support-free days during the first 28 days in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requiring ventilatory support.

Materials and methods: This randomized, single-center, open-label clinical trial included patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) requiring ventilatory support due to COVID-19. Patients allocated to the intervention group received cyproheptadine for 10 days. The primary outcome was ventilator-free days during the first 28 days.

Results: Nineteen patients were randomized to receive cyproheptadine and 21 to the control group. The number of ventilatory support-free days during the first 28 days was not different between the two groups (15.0; 95% CI, 0.0-24.0 days in the control group vs 7.0; 95% CI, 0.0-19.0 days in the intervention group; p = 0.284).

Conclusion: In patients with COVID-19 and in need of ventilatory support, the use of cyproheptadine plus usual care, compared with usual care alone, did not increase the number of ventilatory support-free days in 28 days.

How to cite this article: Boniatti MM, Nedel WL, Rihl MF, Schwarz P, Parolo E, Moretti MMS, et al. Effect of Cyproheptadine on Ventilatory Support-free Days in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19: An Open-label, Randomized Clinical Trial. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(7):517-521.

Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019; Cyproheptadine; Intensive care unit; Serotonin; Ventilatory support.

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Conflict of interest statement

Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: None

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Trial flowchart
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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