Research progress of chloroquine-associated sever adverse reactions

Chloroquine, which has an original indication to prevent or cure malaria, have been used to treat several rheumatological, immunological, and infectious diseases for their therapeutic effects in immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory, and reducing the production of several cytokines. Despite the advantages of inexpensive and high safety in a short-term or low dosage regimen, chloroquine has narrow therapeutic window and long half-life. so there still may be a risk of sever adverse such as cardiotoxicity, retinal toxicity, seizure/extrapyramidal disease and hypoglycemia even fatal reaction or the risk of poisoning to its clinical application. On 18th February 2020, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China issued the sixth edition of Diagnosis and treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia, in which chloroquine was recommended as an anti-virus agent. This article reviews the potential sever adverse reaction related to chloroquine in order to provide some information for clinical medical workers in their safe medication. Key words: Aminoquinolines; Poisoning; Anti-Infective Agents; Coronavirus infections; Adverse Reaction