FDA Issues Warning About Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19

On April 24, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a MedWatch Safety Alert about the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for treating COVID-19. After preliminary studies hinted that hydroxychloroquine may help some patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms to improve, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to allow doctors to use the drug on hospitalized patients whose symptoms are not improving. Several studies were also launched to study its effects as a COVID-19 treatment. However, hydroxychloroquine can have negative effects on the heart, contributing to abnormal heart rhythms that can be life-threatening. For those with existing heart problems, the dangers could be even greater, especially if the drug is combined with the antibiotic azithromycin, as some researchers treating COVID-19 patients have done. The American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and the Heart Rhythm Society jointly published cautionary guidelines recommending that doctors stop using hydroxychloroquine on patients at any sign of heart trouble. The drugs are approved for treating malaria, and in the case of hydroxychloroquine, also for treating autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. (In the U.S., hydroxychloroquine is more common since the malaria parasite is largely resistant to chloroquine.) For people taking the drug for an autoimmune disorder, their doctors monitor for signs of adverse heart events and can adjust dosage as needed. ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Source Type: news