Table 1.
Baseline characteristics, laboratory tests, and concomitant therapies.a.
| Group A (Low dose) |
Group B (High dose, short duration) |
Group C (High dose, long duration) |
P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N = 126 | N = 44 | N = 40 | ||
| Age (years) | 76 (67–84) | 72.5 (63–83) | 72.5 (63.5–82.5) | 0.59 |
| Male sex | 97 (77.0 %) | 27 (61.4 %) | 27 (67.5 %) | 0.11 |
| BMI (kg/m2)c | 24.5 (22.9–26.9) | 23.0 (19.9–24.7) | 23.9 (20.8–26.4) | 0.002b1 |
| Comorbidity | ||||
| Hypertension | 83 (65.9 %) | 28 (63.6 %) | 24 (60.0 %) | 0.78 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 59 (46.8 %) | 15 (34.1 %) | 16 (40.0 %) | 0.30 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 32 (25.4 %) | 6 (13.6 %) | 7 (17.5 %) | 0.23 |
| Cardiovascular disease | 47 (37.3 %) | 12 (27.3 %) | 18 (45.0 %) | 0.25 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 22 (17.5 %) | 3 (6.8 %) | 8 (20.0 %) | 0.17 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 26 (20.6 %) | 10 (22.7 %) | 9 (22.5 %) | 0.92 |
| Chronic liver disease | 6 (4.8 %) | 1 (2.3 %) | 2 (5.0 %) | 0.80 |
| COPDc | 6 (4.8 %) | 6 (13.6 %) | 2 (5.0 %) | 0.17 |
| Interstitial lung disease | 5 (4.0 %) | 6 (13.6 %) | 5 (12.5 %) | 0.035b1,b2 |
| Tumor | 30 (23.8 %) | 14 (31.8 %) | 11 (27.5 %) | 0.52 |
| Baseline respiratory support modes | 0.35 | |||
| No respiratory support | 24 (19.0 %) | 4 (9.1 %) | 5 (12.5 %) | |
| Conventional oxygen supplementary | 33 (26.2 %) | 15 (34.1 %) | 17 (42.5 %) | |
| Reservoir masks/HFNC/NIVc | 44 (34.9 %) | 17 (38.6 %) | 14 (35.0 %) | |
| IMV/ECMOc | 25 (19.8 %) | 8 (18.2 %) | 4 (10.0 %) | |
| Laboratory test | ||||
| White blood cells ( × 109/L) | 9.07 (6.66–13.1) | 8.83 (5.24–12.8) | 8.20 (4.89–11.1) | 0.16 |
| Lymphocytes ( × 109/L) | 0.57 (0.39–0.87) | 0.47 (0.27–0.61) | 0.55 (0.26–0.77) | 0.080b1 |
| Platelet ( × 109/L) | 195 (147–252) | 161 (96–207) | 187 (134–266) | 0.086b1 |
| Alanine aminotransferases (U/L) | 25 (15–43) | 32 (18–52) | 28 (15–62) | 0.43 |
| Serum creatinine (μmol/L) | 83 (60–148) | 73.5 (57–139) | 68.5 (57–108.5) | 0.30 |
| D-dimer (mg/L FEU) | 2.99 (1.14–9.97) | 3.16 (1.18–8.10) | 3.05 (1.10–12.7) | 0.92 |
| C-reactive protein (mg/L) | 97.4 (46.0–166) | 58.5 (42.4–107) | 71.4 (42.5–132) | 0.081b1 |
| Treatment | ||||
| History of corticosteroids use | 8 (6.3 %) | 7 (15.9 %) | 9 (22.5 %) | 0.011b2 |
| Intervals between symptoms onset to corticosteroids initiation (Days) | 9 (6–12) | 7 (3–12) | 10 (6–13) | 0.021b1,b3 |
| Median corticosteroids duration until discharge (Days) | 11 (7–22) | 15 (8–25) | 25 (16–37) | <0.001b2,b3 |
| Maximum corticosteroids dose (mg/kg) | 0.63 (0.56–0.74) | 1.44 (1.18–1.63) | 1.49 (1.20–2.01) | <0.001b1,b2 |
| Duration of maximum corticosteroids use (Days) | 7 (5–10) | 4 (3–5) | 7 (5–8) | <0.001b1,b3 |
| Duration of corticosteroids dose≥1 mg/kg/d (Days) | 0 (0–0) | 4 (3–5) | 9 (7–12) | <0.001b1,b2,b3 |
| Immunomodulators (tocilizumab or baricitinib) | 61 (48.4 %) | 27 (61.4 %) | 26 (65.0 %) | 0.11 |
| Antiviral therapy | 56 (44.4 %) | 21 (47.7 %) | 18 (45.0 %) | 0.93 |
| Anticoagulation therapy | 99 (78.6 %) | 35 (79.5 %) | 31 (77.5 %) | 1.00 |
a
Data are presented as median (interquartile range) or n (percentage) as appropriate.
b1
P < 0.05 between Group A and Group B.
b2
P < 0.05 between Group A and Group C.
b3
between Group B and Group C.
c
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; HFNC, high-flow nasal cannula; NIV, noninvasive mechanical ventilation; IMV, invasive mechanical ventilation; ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.