ArticleNew microbes and new infections2023
Efficacy and safety of in-hospital treatment of Covid-19 infection with low-dose hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin in hospitalized patients: A retrospective controlled cohort study.
Article in New microbes and new infections, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- What Lessons can Be Learned From the Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic?International journal of public health · 2025Review
- Review
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives: In this study we evaluate the efficacy and safety of a treatment protocol with standard dose of hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis to compare the 28-day mortality rate in 352 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin (HCQ-group) in our hospital with a contemporary control group of 3533 patients receiving standard of care from the Belgian Collaborative Group on COVID-19 Hospital Surveillance. Results: All patients who received at least one dose of treatment were included in the analysis. A statistically significant reduction in crude mortality rate at 28 days was observed in the HCQ-group compared to standard of care (16.8% vs 25.9%,p = 0.001).Patients in the treatment group were on average younger (69,7 vs73,1 years, p = 0,0002), were less likely to smoke or to have malignancy and more likely to be male. Patients in the treatment group were more likely to be obese, immunocompromised or to have arterial hypertension, liver disease and lung disease.After adjustment for these variables the OR for mortality was 0.635 (95%CI 0.464-0.875). Patients who did not receive HCQ had a 57% higher risk of mortality. A survival benefit in the treatment group was consistent across all age groups. 13 patients discontinued treatment due to side effects (4 with QTc-prolongation>60msec (1.1%) and 9 because of gastro-intestinal symptoms (2.55%)). No episodes of ventricular arrhythmia or torsade de pointes were recorded during treatment. Conclusion: Treatment of COVID-19 using a combination of hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin was safe and was associated with a statistically significant mortality benefit in the treatment of COVID-19 infection in hospitalized patients. Our findings do not support the current negative recommendations regarding this treatment.
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