Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Directorate of Health Affairs in Buhaira-Clinical Research Department, Ministry of Health and Population, Damanhur, Egypt
2
Clinical Research Administration, Alexandria Directorate of Health Affairs, Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, Alexandria, Egypt
3
Researchers support center, General Organization for Teaching Hospitals and institutes, Cairo, Egypt. Biostatistics department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt
4
Critical Care and Emergency Nursing, Faculty of nursing, Damanhur university, Egypt
5
Directorate of Health Affairs in Buhaira Clinical Research Department, Ministry of Health and Population, Damanhur, Egypt
6
Directorate of Health Affairs in Buhaira Clinical Research Department, Ministry of Health and Population, Damanhur, Egypt Pharmaceutical medicinal chemistry and drug design department, faculty of pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Abstract
Tocilizumab, an interleukin-6 receptor antagonist, has been utilized as a treatment for severe COVID-19 cases due to its anti-inflammatory properties. However, its effectiveness in critically ill patients remains controversial. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of tocilizumab in reducing mortality and improving clinical outcomes in severe or critically ill COVID-19 patients. Data from 320 patients were reviewed, with 105 meeting the inclusion criteria. Patients were divided into two groups: 72 received the standard COVID-19 treatment protocol, and 33 received tocilizumab. The tocilizumab group had a lower mortality rate (63.6%) compared to the standard protocol group (79.2%), although this difference was not statistically significant (risk difference: 15.6%; 95% CI: –4.3 to 35.5; p = 0.091). The length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the tocilizumab group (median: 11 days, IQR: 7–17) compared to the standard treatment group (median: 7.5 days, IQR: 5–12; 95% CI: 0.014–0.019; p = 0.016). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis demonstrated a statistically significant trend in favor of the tocilizumab group (p = 0.021), despite the non-significant difference in overall mortality rates. These findings suggest that tocilizumab may offer a potential survival advantage in severe COVID-19 patients, although further studies are needed to confirm its effectiveness.
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