Adverse Outcomes and Mortality in Users of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs tested positive for SARS-CoV-2: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study

Background

Concerns over the safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use during SARS-CoV-2 infection have been raised.

Objectives

To study whether use of NSAIDs is associated with adverse outcomes and mortality during SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Design

Population based cohort study

Setting

Danish administrative and health registries.

Participants Individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during Feb 27, 2020 to Apr 29, 2020. Treated individuals (defined as a filled NSAID prescription up to 30 days before the SARS-CoV-2 test) were matched to up to 4 non-treated individuals on propensity scores based on age, sex, relevant comorbidities and prescription fills.

Outcome measures

The main outcome was 30-day mortality and treated individuals were compared to untreated individuals using risk ratios (RR) and risk differences (RD). Secondary outcomes included hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation and acute renal replacement therapy.

Results

A total of 9236 SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive individuals were eligible for inclusion. Of these, 248 (2.7%) had filled a prescription for NSAIDs and 535 (5.8%) died within 30 days. In the matched analyses, treatment with NSAIDs was not associated with 30-day mortality (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.57 to 1.82; RD 0.1%, −3.5% to 3.7%), increased risk of hospitalisation (RR 1.16, 0.87 to 1.53; RD 3.3%, −3.4% to 10%), ICU-admission (RR 1.04, 0.54 to 2.02; RD 0.2%, −3.0% to 3.4%), mechanical ventilation (RR 1.14, 0.56 to 2.30; RD 0.5%, - 2.5% to 3.6%), or renal replacement therapy (RR 0.86, 0.24 to 3.09; RD −0.2%, −2.0% to 1.6%).

Conclusion

Use of NSAIDs was not associated with 30-day mortality, hospitalisation, ICU-admission, mechanical ventilation or renal replacement therapy in Danish individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Registration

The European Union electronic Register of Post-Authorisation Studies, EUPAS-34734 (<ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://www.encepp.eu/encepp/viewResource.htm?id=34735">http://www.encepp.eu/encepp/viewResource.htm?id=34735</ext-link>)