COVID-19 ARDS MANAGEMENT IN AN INTENSIVE CARE WARD USING ANTI-CD6 MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY: A CASE SERIES.

Background: Covid-19 ARDS is a common presentation in the emergency ward and needs quick assessment and treatment. Material and Methods: This case series was aggregated from patients admitted to the emergency ward, with a diagnosis of mild to moderate ARDS with impending cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Results: These 10 patients were treated with antiCD6 monoclonal antibody, Itolizumab as it had been given emergency use approval for critically ill patients on CRS. Of the 10 patients, 8 received Itolizumab on day 2 while 2 received it on day 1. Nine out of ten patients recovered and were discharged, while one patient died. Patients' progress was monitored by daily evaluation of patients' CRP and cytokine (IL-6) levels, LDH, and clinical and radiological assessment. All 10 patients were observed for oxygen delivery parameters including days of ventilation support, and total oxygen delivery. Conclusion: The administration of antiCD6 monoclonal antibody, itolizumab early has shown to reduce the duration of ventilation support to 5.4 days, total oxygen requirements to 12 days, and hospital stay to 13.3 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]