Changes in Pharmacological Approach to COVID-19 in a Referral Hospital in Tehran During Two Years

Marashian, Mehran; Sadeghi, Mohsen; Lookzadeh, Somayeh; Moradkhani, Azadeh; Qanavati, Akram; Chaghervand, Zeinab; Soleimani, Sanaz; Hadipour, Farnaz; Shahmorad, Maryam; Mohammadi, Mahboobeh; Esmaeili, Shirin; Javadi, Latifeh; Sharifi, Hooman; Idani, Esmaeil; Jamaati, Hamidreza; Eslaminejad, Alireza

Changes in Pharmacological Approach to COVID-19 in a Referral Hospital in Tehran During Two Years

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mehran Marashian ¹^{, 2}

Mohsen Sadeghi ¹^{, 3}

Somayeh Lookzadeh ¹

Azadeh Moradkhani ⁴

Akram Qanavati ¹^{, 2}

Zeinab Chaghervand ¹

Sanaz Soleimani ⁵

Farnaz Hadipour ¹

Maryam Shahmorad ¹

Mahboobeh Mohammadi ¹

Shirin Esmaeili ¹

Latifeh Javadi ¹

Hooman Sharifi ⁶

Esmaeil Idani ⁷^{, 2}

Hamidreza Jamaati ⁵

Alireza Eslaminejad ¹^{, 2}

¹ Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

² Pulmonary Function Research Center , NRITLD, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

³ Pulmonary Function Research Center, NRITLD, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

⁵ Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁶ Tobacco Prevention and Control Research Center, NRITLD, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁷ Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background: The current study attempts to look at the trend of medication prescription among inpatients with COVID-19 by comparing two groups of them who were admitted into our hospital at separate times at around two-year intervals.
Materials and Methods: Through a retrospective cross-sectional design, the current study enrolled hospitalized cases from two separate periods including winter 2019 and summer 2021 to compare some characteristics of COVID-19 in addition to sex and age distribution as well as the approach and management and their changes as the time passed.
Results: Remdesivir was raised to be the most commonly used medication for COVID-19 after one and a half years when approved by the FDA in this regard. Tocilizumab was prescribed for just less than 6% of earlier pandemics in winter 2019 while used in more than half of hospitalizations in 2021. After two years, corticosteroids are used in 98.6% of the cases at least in our center.
Conclusion: Exact medication administration to target COVID-19 and accurate vaccination in addition to “Herd immunity” among the global population seems to be the chief secret of the current success at least for partial control of the disease now.

Keywords

COVID-19

Remdesivir

Tocilizumab

Corticosteroids

Medications

Subjects