Reducing length of hospital stay with colchicine

Authors

  • Özlem Karakaş Department of Rheumatology, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
  • Abdulsamet Erden Department of Rheumatology, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
  • Serdar Can Güven Department of Rheumatology, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
  • Berkan Armağan Department of Rheumatology, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
  • Enes Seyda Sahiner Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
  • Ali Can Kurtipek Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
  • Osman Inan Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
  • Emin Gemcioglu Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
  • İhsan Ateş Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
  • Ahmet Omma Department of Rheumatology, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
  • Orhan Küçüksahin Department of Rheumatology, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.14924

Keywords:

COVID-19, colchicine, outcome, mortality, hospitalization

Abstract

Introduction: Colchicine is an ancient agent with well-known anti-inflammatory effects and commonly used in treatment of hyperinflammatory conditions. It has been argued that colchicine could be an appropriate treatment option in COVID-19 to control hyperinflammatory response. Here in this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of colchicine on outcomes of COVID-19 in our inpatient cohort.

Methodology: In this retrospective cohort study, hospitalized COVID-19 patients were investigated. Demographics, comorbidities, COVID-19 symptoms, laboratory findings on admission and discharge, baseline and seventh day oxygenation status, rates of mortality, intensive care unit admission, administration of other anti-inflammatory treatments and length of hospital stay were compared between patients who received standard of care medications and who received colchicine additionally.

Results: Three hundred and thirty-six patients were included in the study (171 standard of care, 165 standard of care plus colchicine). The median length of hospital stay in colchicine group was significantly shorter. Rates of admission to intensive care unit, anti-inflammatory treatment administration and mortality did not differentiate between standard of care and colchicine groups. However, reduced rates of mortality and ICU admission were observed in patients who received colchicine with a dose of 1 mg/day when compared to patients who received 0.5 mg/day.

Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that COVID-19 patients who received colchicine in addition to standard of care had shorter hospital stay. Our results further support the use of colchicine in treatment of COVID-19, particularly with a dose of 1 mg/day.

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Published

2022-01-31

How to Cite

1.
Karakaş Özlem, Erden A, Güven SC, Armağan B, Sahiner ES, Kurtipek AC, Inan O, Gemcioglu E, Ateş İhsan, Omma A, Küçüksahin O (2022) Reducing length of hospital stay with colchicine. J Infect Dev Ctries 16:57–62. doi: 10.3855/jidc.14924

Issue

Section

Coronavirus Pandemic