TOCILIZUMAB - An Option for Patients With COVID-19 Associated Cytokine Release Syndrome; A Single Center Experience

Objectives: To analyze the effectiveness of Tocilizumab in moderate to severe Covid-19 participants on the basis of predefined assessment criteria. Study Settings: Single center, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore. Study Design: Quasi experimental. Duration of Study: From 12th May, 2020 to 12th July, 2020. Participants \& Methods: Sample size and technique: Sample size was 93; 33 participants were kept in experimental group, given Tocilizumab, 8mg/kg intravenously or 162 mg subcutaneously and rest of the 60 participants were given corticosteroids, methylprednisolone 80 mg/day. Consecutive sampling. Failure of therapy was labeled when participants were intubated or died, and the endpoints were failure-free survival which was the primary endpoint and overall survival secondary at the time of discharge.