Two drugs come to the rescue of patients – The New Indian Express

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Helping the doctors at the Gandhi Hospital to pull critical patients out of Covid related complications, are two drugs named-- low molecular weight heparin and methyl prednisolone. These drugs are helping in reducing complications in Covid patients.

The low molecular weight heparin is an anti-coagulation prophylaxis, which helps in reducing clotting in patients in ICU. Covid patients admitted in the ICU are generally confined to the bed, which leaves them at a high risk of developing clots in the veins of their legs, which if dislodged could cause pulmonary embolism, stroke, myocardial infarction etc. So to prevent that, anticoagulant drug, low molecular weight heparin is given as a prophylactic agent, said Dr Khizer Hussain Junaidy, pharmacology resident, Gandhi Medical College.

The other drug being given is methyl prednisolone, which is a steroid that helps in reducing inflammation.One of the pathogenic mechanisms of SARS-COV2 virus in the human body is to activate inflammatory mediators, and the resultant hyper-inflammation causes damage to the internal organs. To counter this anti-inflammatory steroid drugs like methyl prednisolone are being used, he added.

These drugs are being given along with medication for existing co-morbidities by a team of specialists from various wings, informed Dr Raja Rao, Gandhi Hospital Medical Superintendent.

Apart from these, the hospital is using all the drugs recommended by WHO and ICMR as part of the worldwide solidarity trials to find treatment for Covid-19. These drugs are being given at random to patients irrespective of their condition, owing to the nature of the trial.

Doctors from the Gandhi Hospital, which is the designated Covid hospital has noted that all four interventions - remdesivir, interferon beta, lopinavir/ritonavir and plasma therapy, have had a positive response. These treatment protocols are in trial stage. All these drugs are being used in different patients and we are seeing good outcomes, said Dr Raja Rao.

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Two drugs come to the rescue of patients - The New Indian Express