Variation in therapeutic strategies for the management of severe COVID-19 in India: A nationwide cross-sectional survey.
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ABSTRACT: Aim
During the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the physicians are using various off-label therapeutics to manage COVID-19. We undertook a cross-sectional survey to study the current variation in therapeutic strategies for managing severe COVID-19 in India.Methods
From January 4 to January 18, 2021, an online cross-sectional survey was conducted among physicians involved in the management of severe COVID-19. The survey had three sections: 1. Antiviral agents, 2. Immunomodulators, and 3. Adjuvant therapies.Results
1055 respondents (from 24 states and five union territories), of which 64.2% were consultants, 54.3% working in private hospitals, and 39.1% were from critical care medicine completed the survey. Remdesivir (95.2%), antithrombotics (94.2%), corticosteroids (90.3%), vitamins (89.7%) and empirical antibiotics (85.6%) were the commonly used therapeutics. Ivermectin (33%), convalescent plasma (28.6%) and favipiravir (17.6%) were other antiviral agents used. Methylprednisolone (50.2%) and dexamethasone (44.1%) were preferred corticosteroids and at a dose equivalent of 8 mg of dexamethasone phosphate (70.2%). There was significant variation among physicians from different medical specialities in the use of favipiravir, corticosteroids, empirical antibiotics and vitamins.Conclusion
There is a considerable variation in the physicians' choice of therapeutic strategies for the management of severe COVID-19 in India, as compared with the available evidence.
SUBMITTER: Jagiasi B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8420329 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Variation in therapeutic strategies for the management of severe COVID-19 in India: A nationwide cross-sectional survey.
Jagiasi Bharat B Nasa Prashant P Chanchalani Gunjan G Ahmed Ahsan A Ak Ajith Kumar AK Sodhi Kanwalpreet K Mangal Kishore K Singh Manoj K MK Gupta Nitesh N Bidkar Prasanna U PU Tyagi Ranvir S RS Khanikar Reshu G RG Tripathy Swagata S Khanzode Swapna S Subba Reddy Kesavarapu K Saigal Saurabh S Sivakumar Vijay Anand VA Javeri Yash Y Tekwani Seema S SS
International journal of clinical practice 20210718 10
<h4>Aim</h4>During the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the physicians are using various off-label therapeutics to manage COVID-19. We undertook a cross-sectional survey to study the current variation in therapeutic strategies for managing severe COVID-19 in India.<h4>Methods</h4>From January 4 to January 18, 2021, an online cross-sectional survey was conducted among physicians involved in the management of severe COVID-19. The survey had three sections: 1. Antiviral agents, 2. I ...[more]
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