Multifactorial Anxiety Disorder and Severe Compulsions Showing Decreased Frequency With Cannabis Treatment

Background. During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers continue to search for effective treatments. There have been mixed data on the safety and effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Risk assessment is essential to identify patients who might be at high risk for complications from treatment. Objectives. The purpose of this study was to evaluate patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 treated with HCQ for risk of QT-interval prolongation and drug-induced sudden cardiac death (DI-SCD). Methods. A total of 100 patients admitted to the intensive or progressive care units at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, between March 2020 and April 2020 with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 who were treated with HCQ were identified. Risk stratification was performed using the Ackerman algorithm. Serial electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring and 24-hour cardiac monitoring were completed. Results. According to the Ackerman algorithm, 80 (85.1%) of the 94 patients with ECG data were at low risk for corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation (green category), 12 (12.8%) were intermediate risk (yellow category), and 2 (2.1%) were high risk (red category). Change in QTc interval greater than 60 milliseconds from initial to 48 hours was noted in 15 patients (16.0%). No events of DI-SCD were reported in patients in the green or yellow categories. DI-SCD was confirmed in 1 patient in the red category, with a QTc-interval prolongation greater than 60 milliseconds. Conclusions. Although treatment with this regimen remains controversial, the risk of DI-SCD is low in patients who have been risk-stratified to be at low or intermediate risk based on the Ackerman algorithm. © 2021 Cliggott Publishing Co.. All rights reserved.