Medicine Use in Colombia's COVID-19 Hospitals: A Closer Look

When COVID-19 hit, doctors worldwide scrambled to find effective treatments. Even though many drugs didn't show promising results, they were still widely used. A study in Colombia looked at how different medications were prescribed to COVID-19 patients in hospitals. The focus was on the differences and similarities based on gender, age, and where people lived in the country from 2020 to 2021.Researchers examined the medication patterns for 8, 596 patients from 170 cities, with an average age of 53 years and 53. 3% of them being men. Around a quarter needed intensive care, and nearly 19% required mechanical ventilation. The most common drugs were systemic corticosteroids (63. 6%), followed by colchicine (12. 8%), azithromycin (8. 9%), and ivermectin (6. 4%). Certain drugs like corticosteroids, anticoagulants, colchicine, azithromycin, ivermectin, and hydroxychloroquine were prescribed more often to men, and usage generally increased with age. The prescription patterns varied by region. Most patients received medications according to treatment guidelines. This study showed that there were clear differences in how medications were prescribed based on a patient's gender, age, and where they lived. It's important to understand why these differences exist and how they affect patient outcomes.