Among 1438 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in metropolitan New York in this publication, treatment with hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, or both was not associated with significantly lower in-hospital mortality.
- A retrospective study aimed to describe the association between use of hydroxychloroquine, with or without azithromycin, and clinical outcomes among hospital inpatients diagnosed with COVID-19.
- Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were cardiac arrest and abnormal electrocardiogram findings (arrhythmia or QT prolongation).
- Selected a random sample of inpatient with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to hospital int he NYC metro region between March 15-28, 2020.
- 735 (51.1%) received hydroxychloroquine + azithromycin, 271 (18.8%) received hydroxychloroquine alone, 211 (14.7%) received azithromycin alone, and 221 (15.4%) received neither drug.
- The probability of death for patients receiving hydroxychloroquine + azithromycin was 189/735 (25.7% [95% CI, 22.3%-28.9%]), hydroxychloroquine alone, 54/271 (19.9% [95% CI, 15.2%-24.7%]), azithromycin alone, 21/211 (10.0% [95% CI, 5.9%-14.0%]), and neither drug, 28/221 (12.7% [95% CI, 8.3%-17.1%]).
- In adjusted logistic regression models, there were no significant differences in the relative likelihood of abnormal electrocardiogram findings.
