Effectiveness of corticoid pulses in patients with cytokine storm syndrome induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection

• Published in: Medicina clinica (English ed.) Vol. 155; no. 4; pp. 159 - 161
• Main Authors: Callejas Rubio, José Luis, Luna Del Castillo, Juan de Dios, de la Hera Fernández, Javier, Guirao Arrabal, Emilio, Colmenero Ruiz, Manuel, Ortego Centeno, Norberto
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 28.08.2020
• ISSN: 2387-0206
• DOI: 10.1016/j.medcle.2020.07.002

INTRODUCTIONCytokine storm syndrome (CSS) is a serious complication of COVID-19 patients. Treatment is tocilizumab. The use of glucocorticoids (GC) is controversial. In other very similar CSS, such as macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) and hemophagocytic syndrome (HFS), the main treatment are corticosteroids. Our objective is to evaluate the efficacy of GC in the CSS by COVID-19. PATIENTSWe included 92 patients with CSS associated to COVID-19 who received GC, GC, and tocilizumab and only tocilizumab. We determine CSS markers. We evaluated mortality, intubation, and a combined variable. RESULTSIn all cases the percentages of events were lower in the group of patients with GC was administered. The hazard ratio of the final variables with GC versus the group in which only tocilizumab was administered was lower as CGs were considered, with statistical significance for survival. DISCUSSIONThe early use of GC pulses could control SLC, with a lower requirement to use tocilizumab and a decrease in events such as intubation and death.