TABLE 1.
Characteristics of included studies.
| Study | Patients, n | Male, (%) | Age, years | Disease severity | ICU admission, no. (%) | Mortality rate, no. (%) | CRP (mg/dL) | Regimen of corticosteroid | Cumulative equivalence dose (dexamethasone) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | PC | CS | PC | CS | PC | |||||||
| Dequin et al. (2023) | 795 | 69.4 | 67 | SOFA: 4 (3–6) PSI V: 181 (46) |
SOFA: 4 (3–6) PSI V: 193 (49) |
400 (100) | 395 (100) | 25 (6) | 47 (12) | 25 | HCT 200 mg IV infusion daily for 4 or 8 days | 45 |
| Meduri et al. (2022) | 584 | 96 | 68.8 | PSI V: 119 (40) APACHE III: 54.3 ± 29.4 | PSI V: 113 (40) APACHE III: 53.4 ± 28.7 |
297 (100) | 287 (100) | 47 (16) | 50 (18) | NR | MP 40 mg IV bolus, than the full 20-day treatment course included 40 mg/day on days 1–7, 20 mg/day on days 8–14, 12 mg/day on days 15–17, and 4 mg/day on days 18–20 | 95.25 |
| Wittermans et al. (2021) | 156 | 67.4 | 67.5 | PSI V: 9 (12) | PSI V: 13 (17) | NR | NR | 3 (4) | 5 (6) | 20.45 | DXM 6 mg PO daily for 4 days | 24 |
| Li et al. (2016) | 58 | NR | NR | NR | NR | 29 (100) | 29 (100) | 6 (21) | 6 (21) | NR | MP 80 mg IV infusion daily for 7 days | 105 |
| Blum et al. (2015) | 386 | 62 | 73 | PSI V: 54 (27) | PSI V: 54 (27) | NR | NR | 15 (7) | 13 (7) | 16.15 | prednisone 50 mg PO daily for 7 days | 52.5 |
| Torres et al. (2015) | 120 | 61.4 | 65.3 | PSI V: 22 (36) | PSI V: 19 (32) | 43 (70) | 47 (80) | 6 (10) | 9 (15) | 25.87 | MP 0.5 mg/kg IV infusion per 12 h for 5 days | 65.6 |
| Nafae et al. (2013) | 70 | 56.2 | 49 | NR | NR | NR | NR | 4 (7) | 6 (42) | 9.23 | HCT 200 mg IV bolus, then 10 mg/h IV infusion for 7 days | 70.5 |
| Fernández-Serrano et al. (2011) | 43 | 66.7 | 61 | NR | NR | NR | NR | 1 (5) | 1 (5) | NR | MP 200 mg IV bolus, then 20 mg/6 h IV infusion for 3 days, then 20 mg/12 h IV infusion for 3 days, then 20 mg/24 h IV for 3 days | 116.3 |
| Sabry and Omar (2011) | 80 | 72.5 | 62.2 | SOFA: 8.5 ± 1.5 | SOFA: 8.2 ± 1.5 | 40 (100) | 40 (100) | 2 (5) | 6 (15) | 56.85 | HCT 200 mg IV infusion, followed by 300 mg daily for 7 days | 86.3 |
| Snijders et al. (2010) | 93 | 58.2 | 63.5 | PSI V: 13 (27) | PSI V: 17 (38) | NR | NR | 5 (10) | 5 (11) | 23.59 | Prednisolone 40 mg IV infusion or PO, as appropriate, daily for 7 days | 42 |
| El-Ghamrawy et al. (2006) | 34 | 61.8 | 61.8 | NR | NR | 17 (100) | 17 (100) | 3 (18) | 6 (35) | NR | HCT IV 200 mg IV bolus, then 240 mg daily for 7 days | 70.5 |
| Confalonieri et al. (2005) | 46 | 69.5 | 63.5 | APACHE II: 17.2 ± 4.1 | APACHE II: 18.2 ± 4.0 | 23 (100) | 23 (100) | 0 (0) | 7 (30) | 42 | HCT IV 200 mg IV bolus, then 10 mg/h for 7 days | 70.5 |
| Marik et al. (1993) | 30 | NR | 36.4 | APACHE II: 11 ± 2 | APACHE II: 14 ± 6 | 14 (100) | 16 (100) | 1 (7) | 3 (19) | NR | HCT single dose 10 mg/kg IV infusion | 26.25 |
CS: corticosteroids; PC: placebo or control; HCT: hydrocortisone; MP: methylprednisolone; DXM: dexamethasone; OD: once-daily; BD: twice-daily; IV: intravenous; PO; Per-Oral; mg: milligram; NR: not reported; ATS: american thoracic society, BTS: british thoracic society; PSI: pneumonia severity index; ICU: Intensive Care Unit.