TABLE 2.

Outcomes Associated With Corticosteroid Exposure According to Day of Corticosteroid Initiation

	Outcome During Hospitalization
	Abdominal Surgery	Endoscopy	Parenteral Nutrition	Abdominal Imaging	Initiation of NSAIDs	Initiation of Opioid Analgesics	Initiation of Antihypertensive Agents	Readmission
Early CS, HR (95% CI)	0.39 (0.17–0.91)	0.27 (0.13–0.55)	0.58 (0.28–1.21)	0.50 (0.29–0.88)	0.42 (0.34–0.52)	0.68 (0.56–0.83)	0.89 (0.64–1.25)	1.19 (0.88–1.60)
Middle CS, HR (95% CI)	0.41 (0.11–1.53)	0.44 (0.17–1.10)	0.79 (0.32–1.99)	0.43 (0.17–1.08)	0.24 (0.15–0.38)	0.58 (0.40–0.84)	0.79 (0.45–1.39)	0.78 (0.45–1.35)

The referent group was corticosteroids initiated after day 4 or no corticosteroid received at any time. Early CS indicates corticosteroid initiation on hospital day 1 or 2; middle CS, corticosteroid initiation on hospital day 3 or 4.