Title : Efficacy and safety of inhalation of nebulized ethanol in covid-19 treatment. A randomized clinical trial
Abstract:
Background: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nebulized ethanol (EtOH) in the treatment of COVID-19.
Methods: A RCT of 99 symptomatic and RT-PCR-positive patients admitted to a hospital receiving Remdesevir-Dexamethasone was conducted. They were randomly assigned to receive distilled water spray (control group, CG) or 35% EtOH spray (intervention group, IG). Both groups inhaled three puffs of spray (nebulizer) every 6 h for a week. Primary outcome: Global Symptomatic Score (GSS) between the two groups at the first visit and on days 3, 7, and 14. Secondary outcomes: Clinical Status Scale (CSS, a 7-point ordinal scale ranging from death to complete recovery) and readmission rate.
Results: Forty-four and 55 patients were enrolled in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Although there was no difference at admission, the GSS and CSS improved significantly in the IG (p=0.016 and p=0.001, respectively). The IG readmission rate was significantly lower (zero vs. 10.9%; p=0.02).
Conclusions: Inhaled-nebulized EtOH is effective in rapidly improving the clinical status and reducing further treatment. Due to its low cost, availability, and absent/tolerable adverse events, further research is recommended on curative and preventive EtOH effects.
Audience take-away:
- Friendly use in daily practice
- Ethanol inhalation will greatly reduce costs for human and health provider resources
- This research can be easily extended in any research center, mostly in low-income countries
- It provides a practical solution for fast recovery from Covid-19 at negligible toxicity
- It provides new information to assist in pandemic management
- Great potential for saving lives and reducing financial burden
