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Crisafulli S, Ientile V, L’Abbate L, Fontana A, Linguiti C, Manna S, Mercaldo M, Pagliaro C, Vezzaro M, Santacà K, Lora R, Moretti U, Reno C, Fantini MP, Corrao S, Barbato D, Tari M, Trifirò G. COVID-19 Patient Management in Outpatient Setting: A Population-Based Study from Southern Italy. J Clin Med 2021; 11:51. [PMID: 35011810 PMCID: PMC8745524 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11010051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence on treatments for early-stage COVID-19 in outpatient setting is sparse. We explored the pattern of use of drugs prescribed for COVID-19 outpatients' management in Southern Italy in the period February 2020-January 2021. This population-based cohort study was conducted using COVID-19 surveillance registry from Caserta Local Health Unit, which was linked to claims databases from the same catchment area. The date of SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis was the index date (ID). We evaluated demographic and clinical characteristics of the study drug users and the pattern of use of drugs prescribed for outpatient COVID-19 management. Overall, 40,030 patients were included in the analyses, with a median (IQR) age of 44 (27-58) years. More than half of the included patients were asymptomatic at the ID. Overall, during the study period, 720 (1.8%) patients died due to COVID-19. Azithromycin and glucocorticoids were the most frequently prescribed drugs, while oxygen was the less frequently prescribed therapy. The cumulative rate of recovery from COVID-19 was 84.2% at 30 days from ID and it was lower among older patients. In this study we documented that the drug prescribing patterns for COVID-19 treatment in an outpatient setting from Southern Italy was not supported from current evidence on beneficial therapies for early treatment of COVID-19, thus highlighting the need to implement strategies for improving appropriate drug prescribing in general practice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valentina Ientile
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy;
| | - Luca L’Abbate
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (L.L.); (M.V.); (K.S.); (R.L.); (U.M.)
| | - Andrea Fontana
- Unit of Biostatistics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy;
| | - Claudio Linguiti
- Caserta Local Health Unit, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (C.L.); (S.M.); (M.M.); (C.P.); (M.T.)
| | - Sonia Manna
- Caserta Local Health Unit, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (C.L.); (S.M.); (M.M.); (C.P.); (M.T.)
| | - Mariangela Mercaldo
- Caserta Local Health Unit, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (C.L.); (S.M.); (M.M.); (C.P.); (M.T.)
| | - Claudia Pagliaro
- Caserta Local Health Unit, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (C.L.); (S.M.); (M.M.); (C.P.); (M.T.)
| | - Michele Vezzaro
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (L.L.); (M.V.); (K.S.); (R.L.); (U.M.)
| | - Katia Santacà
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (L.L.); (M.V.); (K.S.); (R.L.); (U.M.)
| | - Riccardo Lora
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (L.L.); (M.V.); (K.S.); (R.L.); (U.M.)
| | - Ugo Moretti
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (L.L.); (M.V.); (K.S.); (R.L.); (U.M.)
| | - Chiara Reno
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (C.R.); (M.P.F.)
| | - Maria Pia Fantini
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (C.R.); (M.P.F.)
| | - Salvatore Corrao
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy;
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Relevance and High Specialization Hospital Trust ARNAS Civico, Di Cristina, Benfratelli, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Michele Tari
- Caserta Local Health Unit, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (C.L.); (S.M.); (M.M.); (C.P.); (M.T.)
| | - Gianluca Trifirò
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (L.L.); (M.V.); (K.S.); (R.L.); (U.M.)
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