Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37881891›Full record

SynthesisThe Annals of pharmacotherapy2024

Hydroxychloroquine-Chloroquine, QT-Prolongation, and Major Adverse Cardiac Events: A Meta-analysis and Scoping Review.

Michael Cristian Garcia, Kai La Tsang, Simran Lohit, Jiawen Deng, Tyler Schneider, Jessyca Matos Silva, Lawrence Mbuagbaw, Anne Holbrook

Open access · hybridAbstract readMeta-AnalysisScoping Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The Annals of pharmacotherapy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Major Adverse Cardiac Events with Ondansetron: A Systematic Review.Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Michael Cristian GarciaClinical Pharmacology & Toxicology Research Group, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0564-8776
Kai La TsangClinical Pharmacology & Toxicology Research Group, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Simran LohitClinical Pharmacology & Toxicology Research Group, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Jiawen DengClinical Pharmacology & Toxicology Research Group, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Tyler SchneiderClinical Pharmacology & Toxicology Research Group, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Jessyca Matos SilvaClinical Pharmacology & Toxicology Research Group, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-6896-9473
Lawrence MbuagbawDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Anne HolbrookClinical Pharmacology & Toxicology Research Group, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-3371-4187
Impact · CAUniversity of Toronto · CASt. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesWe aimed to evaluate the high-quality literature on the frequency and nature of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) associated with either hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) or chloroquine (CQ). DATA SOURCES: We searched Medline, Embase, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Cochrane Central from 1996 onward using search strategies created in collaboration with medical science librarians. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English language from January 1996 to September 2022, involving adult patients at least 18 years of age, were selected. Outcomes of interest were death, arrhythmias, syncope, and seizures. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed with a Treatment Arm Continuity Correction for single and double zero event studies. DATA SYNTHESIS: By study drug, there were 31 HCQ RCTs (n = 6677), 9 CQ RCTs (n = 622), and 1 combined HCQ-CQ trial (n = 105). Mortality was the most commonly reported MACE at 220 of 255 events (86.3%), with no reports of torsades de pointes or sudden cardiac death. There was no increased risk of MACE with exposure to HCQ-CQ compared with control (risk ratio [RR] = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.69-1.17, RELEVANCE TO PATIENT CARE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE: These findings have important implications with respect to patient reassurance and updated guidance for prescribing practices of these medications.

conclusionsDespite listing as QT-prolonging meds, HCQ-CQ did not increase the risk of MACE.

Indexed as

ChloroquineHydroxychloroquineLong QT SyndromeAdultArrhythmias, CardiacHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicChloroquineHydroxychloroquinechloroquinehydroxychloroquineQT intervaltorsades de pointes

Identifiers

PMID37881891
PMCPMC11151715
OpenAlexW4387949023

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.