Open AccessEffectiveness of hydrogen peroxide as auxiliary treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Brazil: preliminary results of a randomized double-blind clinical trial
Author(s) -
Marielle Bazzo Di Domênico,
Henrique Cesca,
Thales Henrique Jincziwski Ponciano,
Renan Brandenburg dos Santos,
Ulysses Lenz,
Vinícius Picoli Antunes,
Vinicius Webber Godinho,
Kauê Collares,
Pedro Henrique Corazza
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
epidemiology and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.109
H-Index - 19
ISSN - 2092-7193
DOI - 10.4178/epih.e2021032
Subject(s) - medicine , adverse effect , covid-19 , exact test , randomized controlled trial , clinical trial , anesthesia , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in the form of mouthwash and nasal spray as an auxiliary treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS Forty hospitalized patients who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 using a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction test were evaluated. They were randomly divided into an experimental group (n= 20; gargling with 1.0% H 2 O 2 and nasal wash with 0.5% H 2 O 2 ) or a control group (n= 20). The solutions were used for 7 days and the patients were monitored every 2 days, for a total of 8 days. At check-ups, patients were asked about their symptoms and possible adverse effects of the solutions. The presence and severity (mild, moderate, or severe) of symptoms were recorded. Data were compared using the Student test and the Fisher exact test (α= 0.05). RESULTS There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the length of hospital stay (p= 0.65). The most frequent symptom on day 0 was coughing (72.0% in the experimental group and 76.5% in the control group), which abated over time. There was no significant difference between the groups in the evaluated symptoms. Most (75.0%) of the patients in the experimental group presented a reduction in dyspnea between days 0 and 2. Few patients reported adverse effects from the use of the solutions. CONCLUSIONS H 2 O 2 as a mouthwash and nasal spray is safe to use. There is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that H 2 O 2 is effective as an auxiliary treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients.