Tratamiento farmacológico en tiempos de incertidumbre: uso de la hidroxicloroquina/cloroquina en el tratamiento de COVID-19 / Pharmacological treatment in uncertainty times: hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine use in the COVID-19 treatment

ANTECEDENTES Y OBJETIVOS: En los momentos de extrema gravedad en los que nos encontramos, y ante la incertidumbre acerca de los tratamientos más eficaces en la lucha contra la enfermedad COVID-19 y con el objetivo de conocer las evidencias que pueden sostener la recomendación de utilización de cloroquina/hidroxicloroquina en el COVID 19, se realizó una revisión sistemática de estudios publicados y EC puestos en marcha con fecha hasta 28 de abril 2020. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en PubMed con las palabras clave COVID-19 y sus sinónimos y cloroquina/hidroxicloroquina. La selección y extracción de los datos aparecidos en dicha búsqueda fue realizada por dos investigadores de forma independiente. Los resultados se discutieron con un grupo clínico de médicos de Atención Primaria y se sintetizaron los resultados mediante tablas de GRADE. RESULTADOS: Se encontró una revisión sistemática de buena calidad que incluye artículos con elevado riesgo de sesgos. Y 8 EC puestos en marcha que arrojarán resultados más allá de mayo de 2020. CONCLUSIONES: Aunque las conclusiones de la revisión sistemática generan una baja confianza en los resultados, y las variables clínicas que muestran beneficio son variables intermedias, los efectos secundarios son asumibles y podrían ser minimizados con el uso de herramientas de riesgo de alargamiento del QT, por lo que se podría hacer una recomendación débil a favor del uso de cloroquina/hidroxicloroquina en pacientes con COVID-19 en estadio leve-moderado

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In this moments, of extreme gravity in which we find ourselves, and in the uncertainty face about the most effective treatment against COVID-19 disease and with the aim of find the evidence that support the chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine use recommendation to treat COVID-19 disease, a systematic review of published studies and RCT studies publishes until April 28, 2020 was carried out. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic search was carried out in PubMed with the keywords COVID-19 and their synonyms and hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine. The data selection and extraction was elaborated by two researchers, independently. The results were discussed with a Primary Care physicians clinical group and the results were synthesized using GRADE methodology. RESULTS: A good quality systematic review was found that includes articles with a high risk of bias. And 8 EC launched that will produce results beyond May 2020. CONCLUSIONS: Although the conclusions of the systematic review generate a low confidence in the results, and the clinical variables that show benefit are intermediate variables, the side effects are acceptable and could be minimized with the use of QT lengthening risk tools, so it is could make a weak recommendation in favor of the use of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine in patients with mild-moderate stage COVID-19

[Pharmacological treatment in uncertainty times: Hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine use in the COVID-19 treatment]. / Tratamiento farmacológico en tiempos de incertidumbre: uso de la hidroxicloroquina/cloroquina en el tratamiento de COVID-19.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In this moments, of extreme gravity in which we find ourselves, and in the uncertainty face about the most effective treatment against COVID-19 disease and with the aim of find the evidence that support the chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine use recommendation to treat COVID-19 disease, a systematic review of published studies and RCT studies publishes until April 28, 2020 was carried out. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic search was carried out in PubMed with the keywords COVID-19 and their synonyms and hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine. The data selection and extraction was elaborated by two researchers, independently. The results were discussed with a Primary Care physicians clinical group and the results were synthesized using GRADE methodology. RESULTS: A good quality systematic review was found that includes articles with a high risk of bias. And 8 EC launched that will produce results beyond May 2020. CONCLUSIONS: Although the conclusions of the systematic review generate a low confidence in the results, and the clinical variables that show benefit are intermediate variables, the side effects are acceptable and could be minimized with the use of QT lengthening risk tools, so it is could make a weak recommendation in favor of the use of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine in patients with mild-moderate stage COVID-19.

[Length of stay in the hospital emergency department]. / Estudio de tiempos en el área de urgencia hospitalaria.

We evaluated the overall time spent by patients in the emergency department as well as the time employed in the different steps of emergency care and their relationship to patient's diagnosis. Data from 2421 patients, randomly selected, amongst those who attended hospital's emergency department units between november 22-28th 1990 were collected data in a specially designed form. The mean time required for examination was 13 minutes and this procedure was carried out, in average, 18 minutes after admission. The mean length of stay in emergency area was 127 minutes with a significant increase in those cases rated as "true" emergencies.