HCM city, Vietnam: Instructions on the prescription for home-based COVID-19 treatment

HCM city, Vietnam: Instructions on the prescription for home-based COVID-19 treatment (Illustration)

- Drugs used for home-based treatment include antipyretic drugs, physical condition improving drugs (vitamins, micro-nutrients and traditional medicines), antiviral drugs, and corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs and oral anti-coagulant drugs for certain situations.

- Indications for corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs and oral anti-coagulant drugs: patients showing early symptoms of respiratory failure (having difficulty breathing and/or respiratory rate > 20 per minute and/or SpO2 < 95% if applicable) AND unable to contact a healthcare worker for advice or support.

*One of the following corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs may be used:

- Dexamethasone

+ Dosage (for adults): 6mg/dose/day after a meal (best taken in the morning).

If Dexamethasone is not available, substitute it with any of the following drugs:

- Prednisolone

+ Dosage (for adults): 40 mg/dose/day after a meal (best taken in the morning).

- Or: Methylprednisolone

+ Dosage (for adults): 16 mg every 12 hours after a meal (in the morning and the evening).

Note:

+ Persons with a stomach disease should take the drug with drugs for the disease.

+ If responding well to the drug, take the drug for no more than 07 days.

* One of the following oral anti-coagulant drugs may be used (*): Rivaroxaban

+ Dosage: 10mg for once a day.

Note:

+ Take the drug for no more than 07 days.

+ The drug should only be used by persons aged 18 or older and used with caution in persons older than 80.

+ Contraindications: pregnant women, breastfeeding women, persons having liver failure, renal failure, a history of gastrointestinal hemorrhage or urinary tract hemorrhage, and diseases prone to bleeding.

+ Look out for signs of hemorrhage (such as subcutaneous hemorrhage, gingival bleeding, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, etc.) when using the drug.

Detailed instructions can be found in Vietnam's Official Dispatch 5627/SYT-NVY dated August 15, 2021.

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