Nintedanib treatment for pulmonary fibrosis after coronavirus disease 2019

• Published in: Respirology case reports Vol. 9; no. 5; pp. e00744 - n/a
• Main Authors: Ogata, Hiroaki, Nakagawa, Taisuke, Sakoda, Soichiro, Ishimatsu, Akiko, Taguchi, Kazuhito, Kadowaki, Masako, Moriwaki, Atsushi, Yoshida, Makoto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.05.2021; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Acute respiratory distress syndrome; Case Report; Case Reports; coronavirus disease 2019; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Enteral nutrition; Hospitals; Intubation; Lung diseases; nintedanib; Oxygen therapy; Pandemics; Patients; Pulmonary fibrosis; Rehabilitation; Respiratory diseases; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Tomography; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Ventilators; Acute respiratory distress syndrome; nintedanib; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; coronavirus disease 2019; pulmonary fibrosis
• ISSN: 2051-3380; 2051-3380
• DOI: 10.1002/rcr2.744

A 78‐year‐old Japanese woman with no smoking history suffered from near‐fatal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) requiring four‐week invasive mechanical ventilation, with subsequent radiological features of pulmonary fibrosis. Although methylprednisolone gradually improved her respiratory condition, her oxygenation and exercise tolerance had drastically deteriorated, necessitating high‐flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy. In parallel with tapering systemic steroid, the patient was treated with nintedanib. Three months later, the patient was able to walk with a walking aid using oxygen at 4 L/min. The present case is an indication that nintedanib might provide a novel therapeutic approach for managing post‐COVID‐19 fibrosis, although further studies are warranted. Pulmonary fibrosis after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) recovery is becoming an emerging threat to public health worldwide. Given the present case, nintedanib might provide a novel therapeutic approach for managing post‐COVID‐19 fibrosis, although further studies are warranted.