Intravenous Immunglobulins Are Not Effective in the Treatment of COVID-19
Ilhan Kilic11Department of Nephrology, Edirne Sultan I. Murat State Hospital, Edirne, Turkey
Objectives: The COVID-19 disease caused a pandemic. Pneumonia and related hypoxia are known to be the most important causes of mortality. An effective treatment is needed until extensive utilization of the vaccines. We report the effect of intravenous immunoglobulins in COVID-19 patients. Methods: As an observational case control study, demographic, clinical, laboratory, treatment, and outcome data of patients from Covid-19 ICU were obtained from records of the electronic medical archive of the hospital. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression methods were used to investigate the risk factors related to the length of hospital stay and in-hospital death. Results: All patients were treated with both corticosteroid and favipravir. Patients who received IVIG had a lesser amount of lymphocytes before treatment start. Eleven of the patients were died and 15 were alive. In alive patients, a significant increase in lymphocyte and decrease in ferritin levels were observed after high dose IVIG therapy. Conclusion: Increase in lymphocyte count and decrease in ferritin levels were observed in patients who survived after high dose IVIG therapy. COVID-19-related mortality toll is very high so an urgent effective treatment modality is still needed. However, IVIG therapy was not found to decrease mortality rate in severe COVID-19 patients. Keywords: SARS-CoV-2 Infection, renal functions, prognosis, mortality rate, immunoglobulin
Cite This Article
Kilic I. Intravenous Immunglobulins Are Not Effective in the Treatment of COVID-19. EJMI. 2021; 5(4): 481-485
Corresponding Author: Ilhan Kilic