A Retrospective Study on Azvudine in Hospitalized Elderly Patients with COVID-19

Abstract

The ongoing 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia pandemic continues to pose a serious threat to public health and safety. In response, numerous specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs have been urgently approved for use. Azvudine has been recommended as a priority treatment for COVID-19 patients, but its efficacy and safety in elderly patients remain unexplored. In this retrospective, single-center, observational study, we assessed the impact of Azvudine treatment on elderly hospitalized patients aged over 70 years. We analyzed parameters such as the time of SARS-CoV-2 negative conversion, clinical outcomes, length of hospital stay, and respiratory support requirements. Additionally, we compared changes in blood routine indicators, liver and kidney function indicators, and the incidence of adverse events before and after Azvudine administration to provide real-world data concerning elderly patients. The study included 36 elderly patients aged 70 to 95 years. Following Azvudine administration, the average time for SARS-CoV-2 negative conversion was 5.15 days. Clinical outcomes revealed improvement and discharge in 74.3% of the patients, exacerbation in 5.7% of the patients, and mortality in 20% of the patients. Analysis of blood routine indicators and liver function indicators before and after medication showed no clinically significant changes. However, serum creatinine levels (Scr) demonstrated a statistically significant increase (71.12 ± 44.22 vs. 87.88 ± 57.39, p < 0.05). Although correlation analysis was not conducted, limited by the small sample size and retrospective nature of the study, these findings underscore the importance of monitoring Azvudine’s impact on renal function.