Medical and chemical efficacy of respiratory physiotherapy and Remdesivir in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Alireza Bahmani^{1,* ✉}, Zahra Mollashahi², Negar Shahkarami³, Elahe Delavar⁴, Hooman Esfahani⁵

1 - Zahedan University of Medical Science (ZAUMS), Zahedan, Iran
2 - Department of Anesthesia, School of Allied Medical Science, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
3 - Master of Operating Room Technology Faculty, Member of Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
4 - Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Iran
5 - Department of Emergency Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Ayatollah Kashani Hospital, Iran

Correspondence: Alireza Bahmani

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55453/rjmm.2022.125.4.24

Received: February 9, 2022

Accepted: June 27, 2022

Abstract:

Evaluated efficacy of Respiratory Physiotherapy and Remdesivir on patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. In current systematic review and meta-analysis study, articles published January 2019 to December 1, 2021 were reviewed in the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO. Risk ratio and mean differences with 95% confidence interval (CI), fixed effect model and Mantel–Haenszel or Inverse-variance formula were calculated. The Meta analysis have been evaluated with the statistical software Stata/MP v.16 (The fastest version of Stata). Mean differences of PaO2/FiO2 ratio at 6h after chest Respiratory Physiotherapy was (MD, 66 mmHg 95 % CI 64.71 mmHg, 67.28 mmHg; p=0.0007). Risk ratio of recovery rate between experimental and control group was 0.20 (RR, 0.20 95 % CI 0.15, 0.25) with high heterogeneity (I2 =78.84%; p=0.00). Risk ratio of mortality rate between experimental and control group was -0.34 (RR, -0.34 95 % CI -0.65, – 0.03) with low heterogeneity (I2<0%; p=0.51). Based on the findings of meta-analysis, Respiratory Physiotherapy can play an effective role in respiratory therapy and rehabilitation of patients admitted to the ICU with COVID-19. A meta-analysis showed that treatment with Remdesivir could increase the recovery rate, especially in the early days of COVID-19; also reduces the mortality rate.