RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: From autumn 2020 until spring 2021 Germany experienced the second wave of SARS-CoV2 infections. As in the previous wave, the older population in nursing homes was hard hit by this infection because of the lack of available vaccines. Due to the multimorbidity in this susceptible group the mortality was high. METHODS: Retrospectively collected patient data of geriatric patients treated from 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2021 due to proven SARS-CoV2 infection were evaluated concerning the duration of symptoms, hospital stay, and laboratory results. The results are presented descriptively and significance tests were performed with ttest and log-rank test to reveal some risk factors for a worse outcome. RESULTS: A total of 168 patients aged from 65 to 97 years were included, with a mean mortality rate of 28% and was highest in the age group over 90 years old. Most patients died within the first 10 days of hospitalization. Intensive care treatment prolonged the hospital stay by 6 days, but the average survival time became equal at the end. Risk factors for worse outcome and the need of intensive care treatment were neutrophilia, lymphopenia, high levels of ferritin and high Ddimer levels on the day of admission. Age, short duration of symptoms and pre-existing dementia, administration of neuroleptic drugs and antidepressants increased the risk of death.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Humanos , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , SARS-CoV-2 , Estudios Retrospectivos , Factores de Riesgo , HospitalesRESUMEN
The Dutch Clozapine Collaboration Group is frequently asked for advice about the management of clozapine-treated patients when infected with or vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. We provide state of the art information about the risks of SARSCoV- 2 infection for patients on clozapine and we give advice on measures to be taken, especially in regard to the monitoring of clozapine plasma levels, WBC count and differentiation during COVID-19 and after vaccination. We present an overview of relevant editorials, observational studies, and case studies, in which COVID-19 was reported in patients on clozapine. Patients using clozapine may have a higher risk of infection than patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) using other antipsychotics. SARS-CoV-2 infection can result in a dangerous increase of clozapine plasma levels, and granulocytopenia and lymphocytopenia (generally mild and short-term) may also occur, usually not as a result of clozapine treatment. Clozapine intoxication, pneumonia and delirium are the main complications of COVID-19 in patients on clozapine. In order to prevent clozapine intoxication, reduction of the original dose by half is generally recommended in clozapine users who contract COVID-19. When a cytokine storm is suspected in an advanced stage of COVID-19, reduction by three quarters seems more appropriate. If COVID-19 patients on clozapine develop granulocytopenia, SARS-CoV-2, rather than clozapine, should be considered as the cause. Schizophrenia patients in general and clozapine users in particular belong to a high-risk group that warrants early vaccination on a medical indication. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
RESUMEN
Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic, the need for effective treatments for COVID-19 led to the idea of "repurposing" drugs for antiviral treatment. Several antipsychotics and antidepressants have been tested for in vitro activity against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Chlorpromazine, other phenothiazine antipsychotics, and the antidepressant fluoxetine were found to be rather potent in these studies. However, whether effective plasma concentrations can be obtained with clinically accepted doses of these drugs is not clear. Data of COVID-19 patients are not yet available but several clinical studies are currently underway. The specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluvoxamine is a potent Sigma-1 receptor agonist and reduces inflammation in animal models of cytokine-stress. Accordingly, fluvoxamine treatment was superior to placebo in reducing impaired respiratory function and other symptoms of inflammation in COVID-19 patients in a placebo-controlled clinical study and another open clinical trial. The beneficial effects of fluvoxamine on the course of COVID-19 were recently confirmed in a large placebo-controlled double-blind trial with several hundred patients. Inflammation represents a major risk factor for many psychiatric disorders which explains the high susceptibilitiy of COVID- 19 patients for psychiatric diseases. Many antidepressants and antipsychotics possess anti-inflammatory properties independent of sigma-1 activity which might be important to reduce psychiatric symptoms of COVID-19 patients and to improve respiratory dysfunction and other consequences of inflammation. This might explain the rather unspecific benefit which has been reported for several cohorts of COVID-19 patients treated with different psychotropic drugs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
RESUMEN
In 2020 the whole world focused on antivirus drugs towards SARS-CoV-2. Most of the researchers focused on drugs used in other viral infections or malaria. We have not seen such mobilization towards one topic in this century. The whole situation makes clear that progress needs to be made in antiviral drug development. The first step to do it is to characterize the potential antiviral activity of new or already existed drugs on the market. Phenothiazines are antipsychotic agents used previously as antiseptics, anthelminthics, and antimalarials. Up to date, they are tested for a number of other disorders including the broad spectrum of viruses. The goal of this paper was to summarize the current literature on activity toward RNA-viruses of such drugs like chlorpromazine, fluphenazine, perphenazine, prochlorperazine, and thioridazine. We identified 49 papers, where the use of the phenothiazines for 23 viruses from different families were tested. Chlorpromazine, fluphenazine, perphenazine, prochlorperazine, and thioridazine possess anti-viral activity towards different types of viruses. These drugs inhibit clathrin-dependent endocytosis, cell-cell fusion, infection, replication of the virus, decrease viral invasion as well as suppress entry into the host cells. Additionally, since the drugs display activity at nontoxic concentrations they have therapeutic potential for some viruses, still, further research on animal and human subjects are needed in this field to verify cell base research.