A French hospital testing the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine on COVID-19 patients had to immediately stop testing on one patient due to the risk of significant cardiac side effects.
Hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug repeatedly pushed by President Trump as a safe COVID-19 treatment, is one of many drugs currently being tested at the University Hospital Center of Nice, according to a report by Newsweek. When electrocardiogram readings suggested one patient’s cardiac health was in jeopardy, the treatment stopped.
The use of hydroxychloroquine has been hotly debated in recent days, with President Trump dismissing potential side effects in media briefings as healthcare professionals warn the drug’s effectiveness has not been tested nearly enough.
Researchers have reported mixed results, with some studies suggesting the combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin could help COVID-19 patients recover. Other studies, meanwhile, have found no difference when patients take the drugs.
According to a Mayo Clinic guidance, physicians should be aware of the importance of QTc when considering the use of drugs such as hydroxychloroquine. Patients who have “a dangerously prolonged QTc,” according to the guidance, are at a much higher risk “potentially life-threatening ventricular rhythm abnormalities.”
“Correctly identifying which patients are most susceptible to this unwanted, tragic side effect and knowing how to safely use these medications is important in neutralizing this threat,” Michael J. Ackerman, MD, PhD, a genetic cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, said in the guidance.
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Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.