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Journals / Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine / 2026 / Volume: 5 Issue: 2

Efficacy of tocilizumab in severe COVID-19: a retrospective study

Seda Çolak(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0002-5703-6739
Emre Tekgöz(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0002-0866-1503
Muhammet Çınar(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0002-6150-3539
Gülden Yılmaz(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0002-0688-6004
Duygu Tecer(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0002-8816-6181
Fahrettin Bıçakçı(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0002-2756-2914
Ferhat Cuce(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0003-1831-3868
Gonca Fidan(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0002-0972-4510
Deniz Doğan(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0003-2596-3113
Ümit Savaşçı(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))
Yakup Arslan(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0002-7614-1198
Cantürk Taşçı(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0003-4596-5095
Emel Uyar(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0002-8265-0618
Zehra Karacaer(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0002-2658-4679
Serkan Şenkal(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0002-4571-3923
Sedat Yılmaz(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, GÜLHANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GÜLHANE MEDICINE PR. (ANKARA))0000-0002-4691-3417
Pages
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Publication Date
2022-03-15
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Conclusion: We consider that due to the effect of tosilizumab in inhibiting the early stages of inflammation, it can be effective in the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients, especially under 65 years old, not requiring MV, and without extended pulmonary lesions.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic with potential life-threatening outcomes.
📊
Key Findings & Data:The current study aims to demonstrate the effect of tocilizumab in COVID-19 related cytokine storm.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:Conclusion: We consider that due to the effect of tosilizumab in inhibiting the early stages of inflammation, it can be effective in the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients, especially under 65 years old, not requiring MV, and without extended pulmonary lesions.
🔬Design:Clinical Research
📍Scope:2019 Verileri
⚙️Variables:COVID-19 · interleukin 6 · tocilizumab

Abstract

Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic with potential life-threatening outcomes. The current study aims to demonstrate the effect of tocilizumab in COVID-19 related cytokine storm. Material and Method: This retrospective cross-sectional study evaluated the patients who received tocilizumab for COVID-19 related cytokine storm between March and August 2020. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings were recorded. Computerized tomography (CT) scans, which were performed before tocilizumab infusion were scored. The characteristics of the patients who survived versus those who did not survive were assessed. Results: There was a total of 137 patients, 99 (72.3%) male and 38 (27.7%) female, with a median age of 62 years. Eighty-six (62.7%) patients had severe; 51 (37.2%) patients had critical disease course. The mortality rate was 24.1%. Higher mortality rates were present among patients older than 65 years, females, and with comorbid diseases (p=0.02, p=0.031, and p=0.01, respectively). The non-survived group had higher rates of mechanical ventilation (MV) support (85.2%) and admission to the intensive care unit (58.8%) (p<0.05). CT scores were higher in patients who did not survive compared with those who survived. Old age, critical disease, MV support, extended lung opacifications were associated with mortality according to multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR CI= 0.781, p=0.029, p=0.002, p=0.018, p=0.047, respectively). Conclusion: We consider that due to the effect of tosilizumab in inhibiting the early stages of inflammation, it can be effective in the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients, especially under 65 years old, not requiring MV, and without extended pulmonary lesions.

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Cite This Article

Çolak, S., Tekgöz, E., Çınar, M., Yılmaz, G., Tecer, D., Bıçakçı, F., Cuce, F., Fidan, G., Doğan, D., Savaşçı, Ü., Arslan, Y., Taşçı, C., Uyar, E., Karacaer, Z., Şenkal, S., Yılmaz, S. (2022). Efficacy of tocilizumab in severe COVID-19: a retrospective study. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine, Volume: 5 Issue: 2. https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1064728

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