Conference | Intensive Care Congress
In a small study conducted in California, hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 showed a reduction in intubation and mortality rates when given a combination therapy of remdesivir, dexamethasone, and convalescent plasma (CP).
The findings were presented at this year 's Intensive Care Congress .
The study included adults under 81 years of age who had confirmed COVID-19 with an oxygen saturation of 94% or less on ambient air, requiring supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation for less than 24 hours.
A total of 56 patients qualified for inclusion in this study, and 33 of these participants received dexamethasone and convalescent plasma, while 24 patients received remdesivir in addition to dexamethasone and convalescent plasma. Demographic data and comorbidities in both groups were similar, with no significant differences.
Regarding the results, 42% of patients who did not receive remdesivir required intubation, and only 25% of patients who did receive the therapy required intubation.
In the cohort that did not receive remdesivir, 54% of patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), while 45% of the group that did receive the therapy required admission to the ICU.
The mortality rate during hospitalization among patients who did not receive remdesivir was 21%, while the second group that received the therapy had a mortality rate of 8%.
For both groups, the total length of hospital stay was similar.
"The result of our study is similar to other studies that support the use of Remdesivir in hospitalized patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and requiring supplemental oxygen therapy," the researchers concluded.