Evaluating the role of antioxidant therapy in outcome of severe and critical COVID-19 infection requiring high flow oxygen

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of antioxidant therapy in the outcome of critical COVID-19-infected patients. METHODS: At the Patel Hospital, a retrospective cohort analysis was carried out between June 2020 and October 2021. The study included a record of 200 individuals with severe or critical stage COVID-19 who were older than 18 and of either gender. Based on the antioxidant therapy, study participants were placed evenly into two groups. Antioxidant therapy was provided to one group (the exposed group), whereas the other group received simply normal COVID-19 medication (the unexposed group). Outcomes from both groups were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: Patients on antioxidant therapy had lesser mortality and shorter hospital stay than patients on coventional management, but the difference in proportions of mortality and length of hospital stay was statistically insignificant between groups (p > 0.05). Patients on antioxidant therapy had a significantly higher proportion of moderate to severe ARDS and septic shock than unexposed patients. A significantly higher number of patients in the unexposed group had AKI as compared to the exposed group (p = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Antioxidant therapy seems to have a non-significant positive effect on mortality, hospital stay, and AKI, while it showed a negative effect on the severity of ARDS and septic shock.