Several U.S. hospitals in states with fresh surges of COVID-19 cases have started treating their sickest patients with dexamethasone rather than await confirmation of preliminary results of a study by British researchers, who said the inexpensive steroid saves lives.
FILE PHOTO: An ampoule of Dexamethasone is seen during the coronavirus disease outbreak in this picture illustration taken June 17, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
Dexamethasone is the first drug shown to lower the risk of death in severely ill COVID-19 patients in what researchers running the trial hailed as a “major breakthrough.” UF’s Gainesville hospital updated its COVID-19 treatment guidelines as of Tuesday to include using dexamethasone. It previously used the extremely cheap generic medicine sparingly for those patients.
Several hospital systems, including New York’s Northwell Health and the University of Washington had not been using steroids on COVID-19 patients. There was some concern it could lead to worse outcomes because it suppresses the immune system. AdventHealth, which has nearly 50 hospitals in nine states, has been using dexamethasone for COVID-19 patients on ventilators with success since early April, said Eduardo Oliveira, executive medical director for critical care for AdventHealth’s central Florida region.
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