(11 May 2020) Tocilizumab- reduced ICU admissions and deaths

Tocilizumab therapy reduced intensive care unit admissions and/ormortality in COVID-19 patients

https://doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.medmal.2020.05.001

In a retrospective case-control study with a small sample size, death and/or ICU admissions were higher in patients without Tocilizumab (TCZ) than in the TCZ group (72% vs 25%, p=0.002). TCZ group patients less  often required invasive mechanical ventilation than patients in the comparator group. None of the 20 TCZ-treated patients were hospitalized in the ICU. Finding enough ICU beds is highly challenging during the present COVID-19 pandemic TCZ could be key in the treatment of COVID-19 cases to reduce ICU admissions.