Critically ill COVID-19 patients receiving hydrocortisone have a greater chance of recovery

According to Imperial College London (ICL), critically ill COVID-19 patients receiving hydrocortisone had a greater chance of recovery, in comparison to those who did not receive the treatment.

The study assessed the steroid in four-hundred and three mixed ethnicity patients, from Ireland, the UK, the US Australia, the Netherlands, Canada, France and New Zealand, with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, who required cardiovascular or respiratory organ support.

Different treatment regimens were administered at random. The first group was treated with a set dose of fifty milligrammes of hydrocortisone four periods a day for a week, while the second group were treated with the steroid if their blood pressure decreased, and the third group did not receive hydrocortisone.

The study showed that using the fixed-dose of hydrocortisone caused an increase in patient results of ninety-three per cent, which included a decreased need for organ support and an increased chance of survival. The steroid medication improved patient outcomes by eighty per cent in the second group.

Chair of anaesthesia and critical care, IPC, Professor Anthony Gordon, stated: “At the beginning of the year at times it felt almost hopeless, knowing that we had no specific treatments. It was a very worrying time. Yet less than 6 months later, we’ve found clear, reliable evidence in high-quality clinical trials of how we can tackle this devastating disease. The studies show that we now have more than one choice of treatment for those who need it most. Steroids are not a cure, but they help improve outcomes. Having a choice of different types of steroids, all of which seem to improve patient recovery is great as it helps ease the problem of drug supply issues.”