Table 1.

Study demographics and therapeutic treatments prescribed in the six studies included in the meta-analysis

	Year published	Country	Study type	Number of patients on steroids only at follow-up	Number of patients on steroids plus antivirals at follow-up	Type of steroid	Steroid dose	Type of antiviral	Antiviral dose
Adour et al22	1996	United States	RCT (double blind)	46	53	Prednisolone oral	1 mg/kg/day for 5 days followed by taper to 10 mg/kg/day over 5 days	Aciclovir	2000 mg/day for 10 days
Hato et al12	2007	Japan	RCT (single blind)	107	114	Prednisolone oral	60 mg/day for 5 days, 30 mg/day for 3 days, 10 mg/day for 2 days	Valaciclovir	1000 mg/day for 5 days
Sullivan et al6	2007	United Kingdom	RCT (double blind)	127	124	Prednisolone oral	50 mg/day for 10 days	Aciclovir	2000 mg/day for 10 days
Engstrom et al14	2008	Sweden	RCT (double blind)	180	186	Prednisolone oral	60 mg/day for 5 days, 50 mg/day for 1 day, 40 mg/day for 1 day, 30 mg/day for 1 day, 20 mg/day for 1 day, 10 mg/day for 1 day	Valaciclovir	3000 mg/day for 7 days
Minnerop et al9	2008	Germany	RCT (not blinded)	67	50	Prednisone oral	1 mg/kg/day for 4 days, taper over 8 days	Famciclovir	250 mg/day for 7 days
Yeo et al10	2008	South Korea	RCT (double blind)	47	44	Prednisolone oral	1 mg/kg/day for 4 days, 60 mg/kg/day for 2 days, 40 mg/kg/day for 2 days, 20 mg/kg/day for 2 days	Aciclovir	2400 mg/day for 5 days

RCT, randomised controlled trial.