The first Las Vegas area hospital has started using hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 patients.
13 Action News Anchor Tricia Kean reports UMC is prescribing the drug to high-risk patients who test positive for COVID-19 but don't require immediate hospitalization.
DRUG PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEENTOUTING IN THE FIGHT AGAINSTCOVID- 19MY CO ANCHOR TRICIA KEAN JOINSUS LIVE FROM HER HOME STUDIOWITH MORE ON THIS MOVE.U-M-C CONFIRMED TO US TODAY...THAT THEY ARE GIVING...THE HYDROXY-CHLOROQUINE...TO HIGH RISK PATIENTS...WHO TEST POSITIVE...FOR COVID-19...BUT...THEY DON'T REQUIRE...IMMEDIATE HOSPITALIZATION...IT'S A MOVE....THAT SOME SEE AS...CUTTING EDGE..ACTION NEWS OBTAINED THISSTATEMENT FROM SCOTT KERBS INRESPONSE TO THE MOVE...TO TREAT COVID 19 PATIENTS WITHHYDROXY-CHLOROQUIN...AT UMC, OUR WORLD-CLASS TEAMMEMBERS CONTINUE TO WORKTIRELESSLY TO SAVE LIVES....IMPLEMENTING INNOVATIVE NEWPROCESSES AND TREATMENTPLANS,,,,, TO PROMOTE THE BESTPOSSIBLE MEDICAL OUTCOMES FOROUR PATIENTS.UMC'S ADULT EMERGENCYDEPARTMENT BEGAN DISPENSINGHYDROXYCHLOROQUINE TOHIGH-RISK...COVID-19 PATIENTS ON ANOUTPATIENT BASIS...LAST WEEK.UMC IS THE FIRST HOSPITAL INOUR COMMUNITY....TO TAKE THIS STEP....AND WE EXPECT OTHERS TOIMPLEMENT SIMILARPROCESSES,,,,, IN THE NEARFUTURE.WE INTRODUCED THIS MEASURE TOHELP PREVENT......AT- RISK PATIENTS.....FROM REQUIRING INPATIENTCARE...IN THE FUTURE.OUR EXPERTLY TRAINED PHYSICIANSARE CLOSELY MONITORING THESETHE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONHAS SPOKEN OUT ON THECONTROVERSIAL DRUG."SO THE MEDICAL AND RESEARCHCOMMUNITY ARE REALLY TAKINGTHE POTENTIAL OFHYDROCHLOROQUINE SERIOUSLY ANDCHLOROQUINE SERIOUSLY.AND IT'S CURRENTLY, AS I SAID,INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OFDIFFERENT TRIALS.""THERE IS NO EMPIRICALEVIDENCE, THERE IS NO EVIDENCEFROM RANDOMISED CONTROLLEDTRIALS THAT IT WORKS.AND AS CLINICIANS HAVE ALSOBEEN CAUTIONED TO LOOK OUT FORSIDE EFFECTS OF THE DRUG TOENSURE THAT FIRST WE DO NOHARM."THAT'S THE WORLD HEALTHORGANIZATIONS STAND...ON THE DRUG...YOU MAY REMEMBER...BACK ON APRIL -1-ST..GOVERNOR STEVE SISOLAK ONLYBANNED THE USE OFHYDROXY-CHLOROQUINE...OUTSIDE OF OF THE IN-PATIENTHOSPITAL SETTING...HE WAS CONCERNED...ABOUT SO CALLED..."CONCIERGE DOCTORS"....PRO-ACTIVELY...GIVING OUT PRESCRIPTIONS TOPATIENTS... WHICH IN TURN...COULD IMPACT....PEOPLE WHO NEED THE DRUG...FOR CONDITIONS LIKE "LUPUS" OR"RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS"..THE GOVERNOR WANTED TO MAKESURE...THOSE PEOPLE COULD GET THEIRPRESCRIPTIONS FILLED.AD LIBSNEVADA ATTORNEY GENERAL, ARRONFORD, IS TEAMING UP WITH THEU-S ATTORNEY