Dexamethasone added in Clinical Management Protocols for COVID-19 Patients by Health Ministry
On 27th June 2020, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released an updated Clinical Management Protocol under Dexamethasone was advised as an alternative to Methylprednisolone.
Further, the Ministry has also stated that the Dexamethasone drug to be only used for COVID-19 positive patients who require oxygen support or those with an excessive inflammatory response.
Background
The United Kingdom’s University of Oxford has published its report on 16th June 2020 after conducting trials on 2104 patients with 6 mg of Dexamethasone per day for a period of 10 days. As per which, it was found that Dexamethasone has reduced mortality in COVID-19 patients who had severe respiratory complications. The drug has reduced deaths among ventilated patients by one-third.
The report also stated that for patients who were not on respiratory support, the drug has shown no signs of benefit.
Dexamethasone
It is a type of corticosteroid medication that is being used for the treatment of a wide range of conductions such as eye pain after eye surgery, asthma, skin diseases, etc. The steroid has immunosuppressant and anti-inflammatory effects.
How COVID-19 Patients were benefited from Dexamethasone?
As Dexamethasone has immunosuppressant effects, the COVID-19 patients whose immune system rapidly produces proteins called cytokines in response to the coronavirus infection, Dexamethasone serves to dampen the too aggressive response of the immune system. This overdrive reaction from the immune system is called ‘cytokine storm’. These cytokines when overproduced by the immune system damages cells and tissues in the body.
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Month: Current Affairs - June, 2020