Hydroxychloroquine use should be avoided outside of hospitals, FDA warns
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday warned against the use of two antimalarial drugs that have been touted as possible treatments for the novel coronavirus following reports of “serious heart rhythm problems” in COVID-19 patients treated with the medications.
COVID-19 treatment hydroxychloroquine showed no benefit, more deaths in VA virus study
The two primary outcomes analyzed in the study were death and the need for ventilation.
About 28 percent who were given hydroxychloroquine plus usual care died, versus 11 percent of those getting routine care alone. About 22 percent of those getting the drug plus azithromycin died too, but the difference between that group and usual care was not considered large enough to rule out other factors that could have affected survival.
Hydroxychloroquine made no difference in the need for a breathing machine, either.
“In this study, we found no evidence that use of hydroxychloroquine, either with or without azithromycin, reduced the risk of mechanical ventilation in patients hospitalized with Covid-19,” the researchers said. “An association of increased overall mortality was identified in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine alone. These findings highlight the importance of awaiting the results of ongoing prospective, randomized, controlled studies before widespread adoption of these drugs.”