Use of Ivermectin is Associated with Lower Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 (ICON study)
Rajter et al.,
Use of Ivermectin is Associated with Lower Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 (ICON study),
Chest, doi:10.1016/j.chest.2020.10.009
Retrospective 280 hospitalized patients showing lower mortality with ivermectin (13.3% vs 24.5%), propensity matched odds ratio OR 0.47 [0.22-0.99], p=0.045.
risk of death, 46.0% lower, RR 0.54, p = 0.045, treatment 13 of 98 (13.3%), control 24 of 98 (24.5%), NNT 8.9, adjusted per study, odds ratio converted to relative risk, PSM.
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risk of death, 66.9% lower, RR 0.33, p = 0.03, treatment 26 of 173 (15.0%), control 27 of 107 (25.2%), NNT 9.8, adjusted per study, odds ratio converted to relative risk, multivariate, primary outcome.
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risk of mechanical ventilation, 63.6% lower, RR 0.36, p = 0.10, treatment 4 of 98 (4.1%), control 11 of 98 (11.2%), NNT 14, matched cohort excluding intubated at baseline.
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Effect extraction follows pre-specified rules prioritizing more serious outcomes. Submit updates
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Rajter et al., 13 Oct 2020, retrospective, propensity score matching, USA, peer-reviewed, 6 authors, dosage 200μg/kg single dose.
Abstract: [
Chest Infections Original Research
]
Use of Ivermectin Is Associated With
Lower Mortality in Hospitalized Patients
With Coronavirus Disease 2019
The Ivermectin in COVID Nineteen Study
Juliana Cepelowicz Rajter, MD; Michael S. Sherman, MD, FCCP; Naaz Fatteh, MD;
Fabio Vogel, PharmD, BCPS; Jamie Sacks, PharmD; and Jean-Jacques Rajter, MD
BACKGROUND: Ivermectin was shown to inhibit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 replication in vitro, which has led to off-label use, but clinical efficacy has not been
described previously.
RESEARCH QUESTION:
Does ivermectin benefit hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) patients?
Charts of consecutive patients hospitalized at four Broward Health
hospitals in Florida with confirmed COVID-19 between March 15 and May 11, 2020, treated with or
without ivermectin were reviewed. Hospital ivermectin dosing guidelines were provided, but treatment
decisions were at the treating physician’s discretion. The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital
mortality. Secondary outcomes included mortality in patients with severe pulmonary involvement,
extubation rates for mechanically ventilated patients, and length of stay. Severe pulmonary involvement was defined as need for FIO2 $ 50%, noninvasive ventilation, or invasive ventilation at study
entry. Logistic regression and propensity score matching were used to adjust for confounders.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:
Two hundred eighty patients, 173 treated with ivermectin and 107 without ivermectin,
were reviewed. Most patients in both groups also received hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, or
both. Univariate analysis showed lower mortality in the ivermectin group (15.0% vs 25.2%; OR, 0.52;
95% CI, 0.29-0.96; P ¼ .03). Mortality also was lower among ivermectin-treated patients with severe
pulmonary involvement (38.8% vs 80.7%; OR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.05-0.47; P ¼ .001). No significant
differences were found in extubation rates (36.1% vs 15.4%; OR, 3.11; 95% CI, 0.88-11.00; P ¼ .07) or
length of stay. After multivariate adjustment for confounders and mortality risks, the mortality
difference remained significant (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.09-0.80; P ¼ .03). One hundred ninety-six
patients were included in the propensity-matched cohort. Mortality was significantly lower in the
ivermectin group (13.3% vs 24.5%; OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.22-0.99; P < .05), an 11.2% (95% CI, 0.38%22.1%) absolute risk reduction, with a number needed to treat of 8.9 (95% CI, 4.5-263).
RESULTS:
Ivermectin treatment was associated with lower mortality during treatment
of COVID-19, especially in patients with severe pulmonary involvement. Randomized
controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.
CHEST 2021; 159(1):85-92
INTERPRETATION:
KEY WORDS: hospitalized COVID-19; in-hospital mortality; ivermectin; mechanical
ventilation; number needed to treat; severe pulmonary involvement; survival
ABBREVIATIONS: COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019; IQR = interquartile range; MAP = mean arteria pressure; QTc = corrected QT interval; SARS-CoV-2 = severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
chestjournal.org
AFFILIATIONS: From the Broward Health Medical Center, Fort
Lauderdale, FL (J. C. R., N. F., F. V., J. S., and J.-J. R.);
the Drexel University College of Medicine (M. S. S.),
85
Take-home Points
Is ivermectin associated with lower
mortality rate in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)?
Results: A retrospective cohort study of consecutive
patients..
Late treatment
is less effective
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