The HCQ is used for autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus
erythematosus and referred to be a safe and well-tolerated drug(Tang,
Godfrey, Stawell & Nikpour, 2012). It is also known to reduce the
cardiovascular risks in rheumatoid arthritis patients(Sharma et al.,
2016). On the other hand, it inhibits the voltage-gated sodium and
potassium channels and prolongs repolarization (QTc interval) of the
cardiac cycle that might increase the risk of Torsade de Pointes (TdP)
and sudden cardiac arrest(Chorin et al., 2020; Jankelson, Karam, Becker,
Chinitz & Tsai, 2020; Meeting, 2017). Based on these cardiac events and
insufficient evidence of efficacy, concerns and restrictions are
increasing for its use in COVID-19 in all over the world. Serious
adverse cardiac events related to HCQ use in treatment and prophylaxis
were reported from recent studies(Ramireddy et al., 2020; Zengin R,
2020).
In this study, we aimed to describe the QTc prolongation and related
cardiac events, associated with HCQ in patients with COVID-19.