Texeira et al., Open Forum Infectious Diseases,
doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.560 (Peer Reviewed)
Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted to a regional health system in the southeast
Retrospective 161 hospitalized patients in the USA showing non-statistically significant unadjusted increased mortality with HCQ. Confounding by indication is likely.
Time varying confounding is likely. HCQ became controversial and was suspended towards the end of the period studied, therefore HCQ use was likely more frequent toward the beginning of the study period, a time when overall treatment protocols were significantly worse.
Texeira et al., 12/31/2020, retrospective, USA, North America, peer-reviewed, 6 authors.
risk of death, 79.3% higher, RR 1.79, p = 0.10, treatment 17 of 65 (26.2%), control 14 of 96 (14.6%).
This study is excluded in meta analysis: unadjusted results with no group details, no treatment details, substantial time varying confounding likely due to declining usage over the early period when overall treatment protocols improved dramatically, substantial unadjusted confounding by indication likely.
Effect extraction follows
pre-specified rules
prioritizing more serious outcomes. For an individual study the most serious
outcome may have a smaller number of events and lower statistical signficance,
however this provides the strongest evidence for the most serious outcomes
when combining the results of many trials.