A research team headed by Prof. Pär Johansson from the Department of Clinical Immunology at Rigshospitalet has investigated whether treatment with prostacyclin can help patients by reducing damage to the endothelial cells, which lines the inside of all blood vessels.
A total of 80 patients in intensive-care departments in the Capital Region of Denmark were included in the trial: half received the medicine, while the other half – the control group – received normal saline.
Patients who received three days’ treatment with prostacyclin had overall significantly less damage to their vital organs during their stay in the intensive-care department. Furthermore, mortality was halved from 44% for the control group to 22% for the group receiving prostacyclin. The results for mortality are not, however, statistically significant, as this was a study of limited size.
“We found that the patients who had received prostacyclin overall had better organ function and better chances of survival. There are still many Covid-19 patients at intensive care departments around the world and we are very pleased that now it seems there’s possibly a better treatment option,” said Pär Johansson.
