Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34180274›Full record

ArticleThe Annals of pharmacotherapy2022

Low-Dose Tocilizumab With High-Dose Corticosteroids in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 Hypoxic Respiratory Failure Improves Mortality Without Increased Infection Risk.

Shari B Brosnahan, Xian Jie Cindy Chen, Juri Chung, Diana Altshuler, Shahidul Islam, Sarun V Thomas, Megan D Winner, Allison A Greco, Jasmin Divers, Peter Spiegler and 2 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in The Annals of pharmacotherapy, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Observational
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Shari B BrosnahanNew York University Langone Health, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2092-3633
Xian Jie Cindy ChenNew York University Langone Hospital - Long Island, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2258-9704
Juri ChungNew York University Langone Hospital - Long Island, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3787-7776
Diana AltshulerNew York University Langone Health, NY, USA.
Shahidul IslamNew York University Langone Hospital - Long Island, NY, USA.
Sarun V ThomasNew York University Langone Hospital - Long Island, NY, USA.
Megan D WinnerNew York University Langone Hospital - Long Island, NY, USA.
Allison A GrecoNew York University Langone Health, NY, USA.
Jasmin DiversNew York University Langone Hospital - Long Island, NY, USA.
Peter SpieglerNew York University Langone Hospital - Long Island, NY, USA.
Daniel H StermanNew York University Langone Health, NY, USA.
Sam ParniaNew York University Langone Health, NY, USA.
NYU Langone Health · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSevere hypoxic respiratory failure from COVID-19 pneumonia carries a high mortality risk. There is uncertainty surrounding which patients benefit from corticosteroids in combination with tocilizumab and the dosage and timing of these agents. The balance of controlling inflammation without increasing the risk of secondary infection is difficult. At present, dexamethasone 6 mg is the standard of care in COVID-19 hypoxia; whether this is the ideal choice of steroid or dosage remains to be proven.

objectivesThe primary objective was to assess the impact on mortality of tocilizumab only, corticosteroids only, and combination therapy in patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure.

methodsA multihospital, retrospective study of adult patients with severe respiratory failure from COVID-19 who received supportive therapy, corticosteroids, tocilizumab, or combination therapy were assessed for 28-day mortality, biomarker improvement, and relative risk of infection. Propensity-matched analysis was performed between corticosteroid alone and combination therapies to further assess mortality benefit.

resultsThe steroid-only, tocilizumab-only, and combination groups showed hazard reduction in mortality at 28 days when compared with supportive therapy. In a propensity-matched analysis, the combination group (daily equivalent dexamethasone 10 mg and tocilizumab 400 mg) had an improved 28-day mortality compared with the steroid-only group (daily equivalent dexamethasone 10 mg; hazard ratio (95% CI) = 0.56 (0.38-0.84), CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Combination of tocilizumab and corticosteroids was associated with improved 28-day survival when compared with corticosteroids alone. Modification of steroid dosing strategy as well as steroid type may further optimize therapeutic effect of the COVID-19 treatment.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 Drug TreatmentRespiratory InsufficiencyAdrenal Cortex HormonesAdultAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedHospital MortalityHumansHypoxiaRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeAdrenal Cortex HormonesAntibodies, Monoclonal, Humanizedtocilizumabadult respiratory distress syndromecorticosteroidsinterleukinsmedication therapy managementrespiratory infections

Identifiers

PMID34180274
PMCPMC8250585
OpenAlexW3176830244

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.