RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Efficacy of Tocilizumab in Severely Ill COVID-19 Patients With Rapid Respiratory Deterioration: A Single Center Experience During the Third Pandemic Wave in Greece JF In Vivo JO In Vivo FD International Institute of Anticancer Research SP 1312 OP 1317 DO 10.21873/invivo.13210 VO 37 IS 3 A1 VASILIKI RAPTI A1 MARIA-EFFROSYNI LIVANOU A1 ANASTASIOS KOLLIAS A1 TILEMACHOS KOUTOURATSAS A1 ORESTIS SAVRANAKIS A1 VISSARIA SAKKA A1 THOMAS NITSOTOLIS A1 ELENI KAKALOU A1 KALOMOIRA ATHANASIOU A1 KONSTANTINOS N. SYRIGOS A1 GARYFALLIA POULAKOU YR 2023 UL http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/37/3/1312.abstract AB Background/Aim: Immunomodulatory therapy with Tocilizumab (TCZ), a monoclonal antibody against interleukin-6 receptor-alpha, has been endorsed by the World Health Organization and other major regulatory bodies, as part of the standard-of-care therapy for severe or critical COVID-19 cases despite discordant trial outcomes. The aim of the present study was to report the experience of our center regarding TCZ routine use in severely ill COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized during the third pandemic wave in Greece. Patients and Methods: From March 2021 to December 2021, we retrospectively analyzed COVID-19 patients with radiological findings of pneumonia and signs of rapid respiratory deterioration that were treated with TCZ. The primary outcome included the risk of intubation or/and death in TCZ-treated patients compared to matched controls. Results: TCZ administration was neither predictive of intubation and/or death [OR=17.5 (95% CI=0.47-652.2; p=0.12)] or associated with fewer events (p=0.92) in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Our single-center real-life experience is in line with recently published research, revealing no benefit from TCZ routine use in severely or critically ill patients with COVID-19.