Case Series of Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia Treated with Hydroxychloroquine
Tomohiro Tanaka,
Masaki Okamoto,
Norikazu Matsuo,
Yoshiko Naitou-Nishida,
Takashi Nouno,
Takashi Kojima,
Yuuya Nishii,
Yoshihiro Uchiyashiki,
Hiroaki Takeoka,
Yoji Nagasaki
Affiliations
Tomohiro Tanaka
Department of Respirology and Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0065, Japan
Masaki Okamoto
Department of Respirology and Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0065, Japan
Norikazu Matsuo
Department of Respirology and Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0065, Japan
Yoshiko Naitou-Nishida
Department of Respirology and Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0065, Japan
Takashi Nouno
Department of Respirology and Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0065, Japan
Takashi Kojima
Department of Respirology and Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0065, Japan
Yuuya Nishii
Department of Respirology and Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0065, Japan
Yoshihiro Uchiyashiki
Department of Respirology and Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0065, Japan
Hiroaki Takeoka
Department of Respirology and Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0065, Japan
Yoji Nagasaki
Department of Infectious Disease, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0065, Japan
The efficacy of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) therapy, a previous candidate drug for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), was denied in the global guideline. The risk of severe cardiac events associated with HCQ was inconsistent in previous reports. In the present case series, we show the tolerability of HCQ therapy in patients treated in our hospital, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of HCQ therapy for patients with COVID-19. A representative case was a 66-year-old woman who had become infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and was diagnosed as having COVID-19 pneumonia via polymerase chain reaction. She was refractory to treatment with levofloxacin, lopinavir, and ritonavir, while her condition improved after beginning HCQ therapy without severe side effects. We show the tolerability of HCQ therapy for 27 patients treated in our hospital. In total, 21 adverse events occurred in 20 (74%) patients, namely, diarrhea in 11 (41%) patients, and elevated levels of both aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase in 10 (37%) patients. All seven grade ≥ 4 adverse events were associated with the deterioration in COVID-19 status. No patients discontinued HCQ treatment because of HCQ-related adverse events. Two patients (7%) died of COVID-19 pneumonia. In conclusion, HCQ therapy that had been performed for COVID-19 was well-tolerated in our case series.
