6533b825fe1ef96bd12829eb
RESEARCH PRODUCT
The impact of SARS-COV2 pandemic on the management oF IPF patients: Our narrative experience
Alida BenfanteNicola ScichiloneRosangela Di LibertiStefania PrincipeIlaria PiccionelloRiccardo Messinasubject
Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicinemedicine.medical_specialtyPyridonesCOVID-19 IPF Pulmonary fibrosis SARS-CoV-2DiseaseSettore MED/10 - Malattie Dell'Apparato RespiratorioSARS-CoV-2 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2ArticlePulmonary fibrosis03 medical and health sciencesIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosischemistry.chemical_compound0302 clinical medicineED Emergency departmentInternal medicinePulmonary fibrosisPandemicmedicineOutpatient clinicHumansPharmacology (medical)030212 general & internal medicineIPF Idiopathic Pulmonary FibrosisPandemicsRetrospective StudiesCOVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019business.industrySARS-CoV-2Biochemistry (medical)ARDS adult respiratory distress syndromeCOVID-19Emergency departmentPirfenidonemedicine.diseaseIdiopathic Pulmonary FibrosisIPF030228 respiratory systemchemistryHRCT High-resolution chest tomographyRNA ViralNintedanibbusinessPulmonary fibrosimedicine.drugdescription
Abstract Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has changed the health-care systems around the world in a remarkable way. We describe the strategies adopted to cope with the limitations imposed by the pandemic to the access to health care by patients diagnosed with idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Material and methods We conducted a retrospective observational analysis including IPF patients under antifibrotic drugs (nintedanib and pirfenidone) that accessed to the Outpatient clinic of the University of Palermo, Italy. Patients received a phone number and an email address in case of any urgency and a virtual meeting was settled up monthly. Results 40 patients (M/F: 30/10) were followed up, 33 under nintedanib treatment, 7 under pirfenidone . Among patients under nintedanib, 1 patient reported high fever (T max 39 °C) and purulent sputum with no sign of infections, 1 had hemoptysis that was spontaneously resolved. 2 patients accessed to the emergency department for the worsening of dyspnea; 5 patients had diarrhea that resolved with symptomatic drugs in few days. 3 patients had an increase of alkaline phosphatase levels, leading to the withdrawal of the antifibrotic drug for 15 days, and subsequent normalization of the plasmatic levels. Among patients under pirfenidone, one subject had an increase of ferritin serum levels with no symptoms. The remaining subjects were in stable clinical conditions. None of the patients reported hospitalization or exacerbations, and did not experience antifibrotic withdrawal. Conclusions We were able to demonstrate that by implementing alternative ways to monitor the disease, patients did not incur in increased rates of acute exacerbations or higher frequency of side effects and antifibrotic treatment withdrawal.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-01-01 |