Pharmacotherapy prescribing pattern and outcome for hospitalized patients with severe and critical COVID-19

There are many treatment modalities for COVID-19 – with varied outcome. Therefore, authors designed this study to assess prescribing patterns and the clinical outcome for hospitalized patients with severe and critical COVID-19 so as to determine the most effective approach.

Authors conducted a retrospective observational study on 346 adult patients with either severe or critical COVID-19, who were admitted to public hospitals in Al-Najaf city, Iraq from June to September 2020. Patients’ information, medications and outcomes were collected from their medical records in the registered office of the hospital.

A total of 346 patients were enrolled, with a majority of patients being adults above 35 years old and male (70.2%). Most patients (81%) received corticosteroid as dexamethasone, and about 45% of all patients were given convalescent plasma therapy, while a few patients were prescribed antiviral favipiravir (23%) and lopinavir/ritonavir (19%). As supportive care medications, anticoagulant such as enoxaparin was administered to most of the patients (93%) and more than half of all patients received the broad-spectrum antibiotic, meropenem.

The majority of the patients recovered and were discharged alive (66%), however, the in- hospital mortality rate was 26%. Interestingly, patients treated with enoxaparin alone or in combination with hydroxychloroquine were associated with better outcome.

The prescribing pattern of COVID-19 specific medications and supportive care is aligned with guideline recommendations and associated with a beneficial therapeutic outcome.