Kazuhito Miyazaki: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. ka07-miyazaki@city.yokohama.jp.
Yukihiro Yoshimura: Departments of Infectious Diseases, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Nobuyuki Miyata: Departments of Infectious Diseases, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Hiroaki Sasaki: Departments of Infectious Diseases, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Aya Shiba: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Masaharu Aga: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Yusuke Hamakawa: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Yuri Taniguchi: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Yuki Misumi: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Yoko Agemi: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Tsuneo Shimokawa: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Hiroaki Okamoto: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Natsuo Tachikawa: Departments of Infectious Diseases, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Remdesivir has been shown to reduce recovery time and mortality among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, data regarding the efficacy and safety of remdesivir use are limited in Japan. We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study at Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan. Patients with COVID-19 pneumonia treated with remdesivir were included. The onset of acute pancreatitis and increased pancreatic enzyme levels and clinical, laboratory, treatment, and outcome data were collected and analyzed. A total of 201 patients were included. Among the 201 patients treated with remdesivir, 177 recovered from COVID-19. Increased pancreatic enzyme levels of grade 3 or higher or acute pancreatitis developed in 23 of the 201 patients. The potential etiopathogenetic effects of remdesivir on increased pancreatic enzyme levels of grade 3 or higher or acute pancreatitis were ascertained by reviewing the characteristics of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 who did not receive remdesivir treatment. Only 3 of 159 patients had increased pancreatic enzyme levels of grade 3 or higher during the treatment course. Multivariate analysis indicated remdesivir administration and severe COVID-19 infection by National Institute of Health standards as independent risk factors. Acute pancreatitis and severe increases in pancreatic enzyme levels were observed among patients with COVID-19 treated with remdesivir.
