Figure 1
Patients’ and study groups’ flow diagram:
Flow diagram of included and excluded patients in the study, and matched groups.
Table 1
Demographic and clinical characteristics of study groups before and after matching:
| Variable | Unmatched Groups | Matched Groups | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCZ (n=29) | No TCZ (n=386) | P value | TCZ (n = 29) | No-TCZ (n = 29) | P value | |
| Age: Median (IQR) | 59 (52.5 – 60.25) | 51 (44 – 57) | 0.0001 | 59 (52.5 – 60.25) | 57 (51.75 – 63.25) | 0.9 |
| Gender: Male (n, %) | 21 (72.4%) | 262 (67.9%) | 0.6 | 21 (72.4%) | 20 (69%) | 0.8 |
| SOFA score Median (IQR) | 4 (4 – 5) | 3 (4 – 5) | 0.0001 | 4 (4 – 5) | 4 (4 – 4.25) | 0.2 |
| BMI Median (IQR) | 27 (23.3 – 31.2) | 25.8 (22.6 – 29.4) | 0.2 | 27 (23.3 – 31.2) | 25.3 (21.85 – 28.63) | 0.1 |
| Smoking (n, %) | 10 (34.5%) | 131 (33.9%) | 0.9 | 10 (34.5%) | 9 (31%) | 0.8 |
| Anti-viral (n, %) | 11 (37.9%) | 154 (39.9%) | 0.8 | 11 (37.9%) | 12 (41.4%) | 0.8 |
| Steroids (n, %) | 17 (58.6%) | 245 (63.5%) | 0.6 | 17 (58.6%) | 16 (55.2%) | 0.8 |
[i] TCZ = Tocilizumab, IQR = interquartile range, SOFA = Sequential organ failure assessment, BMI = body mass index. Unmatched groups had differences in age and SOFA score. No differences between matched groups. All comparisons by Wilcoxon Rank-SUM test for continuous data, and Chi2 test for discrete data.
Table 2
Results of competing risk analysis, and Cox proportional regression:
| Sample statistic (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|
| Competing Risk Regression | SHR: 2.7 (1.2 – 6.3) | 0.02 |
| Cox Proportional Hazard | HR: 0.49 (0.25 – 0.97) | 0.04 |
[i] Competing risk regression: Event of interest is alive and extubated at day 28, competing risk is death or still intubated at day 28. Cox proportional hazard for the risk of death.
Figure 2
Kaplan Meier survival curve:
Survival of patients in both groups up to 28 days, evaluated by Log – Rank test showing significant difference (p = 0.04).
Table 3
Results of secondary outcomes:
| TCZ (n=29) | Control (n=29) | 95% CI of difference | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICU mortality (n, %) | 11 (37.9%) | 18 (62%) | −3.9 to 48.5 | 0.1 |
| Actual VFD: median (IQR) | 10 (0 – 13) | 0 (0 – 2.25) | 1.1 – 8.3 | 0.02 |
| Positive cultures (n, %) | 16 (55.2%) | 10 (34.5%) | −7.11 to 45.4 | 0.1 |
[i] TCZ = Tocilizumab, CI = confidence interval, VFD = ventilator free days, IQR = interquartile range. All comparisons by Wilcoxon Rank-SUM test for continuous data, and Chi2 test for discrete data.