Experience of using tocilizumab in the research unit of infectious hospital for patients with coronavirus infection (CoVID-19)

Petrushin M.A., Leontyeva V.A., Malygin A.S., Demidova M.A.

Tver Regional Clinical Hospital, Tver, Russia
Tver State Medical University, Tver, Russia

The objective of the study was the evaluation of the effectiveness of tocilizumab in patients with coronavirus infection COVID-19 who were treated in the intensive care unit of an infectious diseases hospital. Material and methods. There was carried out a retrospective analysis of the case histories of 40 patients with confirmed severe and extremely severe coronavirus infection COVID-19. The average age of the patients was 58.3 ± 1.8 years, the total lung lesion volume was 83.2 ± 2.0%. Results: The survival rate of patients who received immunosuppressive therapy with tocilizumab in combination with pulse therapy of glucocorticosteroids was 55%, and 44% of patients with 100% lung involvement. The use of tocilizumab (4-8 mg / kg) led to a statistically significant decrease in the level of C-reactive protein in the blood, which was an indicator of adequate pharmacotherapy of the "cytokine storm" in the ICU.