At a glance
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Prolonged Low Doses of Methylprednisolone for Patients With COVID-19 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
In Brief
An observational study evaluating Methylprednisolone and standard care for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Pneumonia and 2 related conditions. Completed, enrolled 173 participants across 1 site.
Detailed Summary
COVID-19 infection is overwhelming Italian healthcare. There is an urgent need for a solution to the lack of ICU beds and increasing deaths day after day. A recent retrospective Chinese paper (JAMA Intern Med, online March 13, 2020) showed impressive positive effect of methylprednisolone (MP) on survival of SARS-CoV-2 critically ill patients. Moreover, the Italian Infectious Disease leading institution guidelines for COVID-19 clinical management included as an option for patients with "incipient worsening of respiratory functions" methylprednisolone treatment at an approximate dose of 80mg. The main objective of this multi-centre observational trial is to analyse the association of low dose prolonged infusion of methylprednisolone (MP) for patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome with composite primary end-point (ICU referral, need for intubation, in-hospital death at day 28).
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
Usual standard of care plus Methylprednisolone (MP) 80 mg/kg IV bolus, followed by MP infusion of 80 mg/day in 240 mL normal saline at 10 mL/h. The infusion is continued for at least eight days and until achieving either a PaO2:FiO2 \> 350 mmHg or a CRP \< 20 mg/L. Treatment is then switched to oral administration of Methylprednisolone 16 mg or 20 mg IV twice daily until CRP returns to \< 20% of normal range and/or PaO2:FiO2 \> 400 or SatHbO2 ≥ 95%. The decision to apply the protocol to Covid-19 is left to the discretion of the treating team for each individual patient.
usual standard of care: * oxygen therapy (regular or high-flow) and monitoring * empiric antibiotic therapy * mechanical ventilation (invasive or noninvasive) * ECMO when needed and available * pronation when possible * other treatment which can be used are: antivirals, chloroquine, vitamins