Favipiravir Experience in COVID-19 Patients at a Tertiary Center Intensive Care Unit

Sultan Acar Sevinc; Ayse Surhan Cinar; Nermin Balta Basi; Seyhan Metin; Tugba Yucel; Serkan Islamoglu; Mustafa Altinay; Haci Mustafa Ozdemir

doi:10.14744/SEMB.2021.35902

Favipiravir Experience in COVID-19 Patients at a Tertiary Center Intensive Care Unit

Sisli Etfal Hastan Tip Bul. 2022 Jun 28;56(2):189-195. doi: 10.14744/SEMB.2021.35902. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Sultan Acar Sevinc¹, Ayse Surhan Cinar¹, Nermin Balta Basi¹, Seyhan Metin¹, Tugba Yucel¹, Serkan Islamoglu¹, Mustafa Altinay¹, Haci Mustafa Ozdemir²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, University of Health Sciences Turkey, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
² Department of Orthopedics, University of Health Sciences Turkey, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare intensive care unit (ICU) and overall hospital mortality in patients treated with favipiravir and lopinavir-ritonavir for COVID-19.

Methods: Data were collected retrospectively between March 10 and May 10, 2020, from patients' records admitted to ICU due to COVID-19. Laboratory data, clinical characteristics, ICU and hospital mortality, ICU and hospital length of stay were compared in patients treated with favipiravir and lopinavir-ritonavir.

Results: A total of 100 patients' data were investigated. Favipiravir was used as the treatment for 85% of patients, with the rest treated with lopinavir-ritonavir. Clinical and laboratory data of both antiviral treatment groups were similar. Length of hospital stay was 16 (9-24) days with favipiravir and 8.5 (5-12.5) days with lopinavir-ritonavir (p=0.002). Length of ICU stay for favipiravir and lopinavir-ritonavir groups were 8 (5-15) days and 4 (3-9) days, respectively (p=0.011). ICU mortality was 65.9% for the favipiravir and 80% for lopinavir-ritonavir (p=0.002). Hospital mortality for favipiravir and lopinavir-ritonavir was 67.1% and 80%, respectively (p=0.001).

Conclusion: The mortality in patients treated with favipiravir was less than patients treated with lopinavir-ritonavir. Favipiravir needs more attention and trials for its effect to be confirmed.

Keywords: COVID-19; favipiravir; intensive care unit; lopinavir-ritonavir; mortality.