Table 3.
Treatment outcome of dexamethasone (DXM) and methylprednisolone (MP) groups
| Variables |
Outcome (day)
|
p | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline | 7 th | 14 th | ||
| Improvement in sputum volume | ||||
| DXM | 17 (51.51) | 26 (78.79) | 28 (84.85) | 0.05 |
| MP | 10 (29.41) | 18 (52.94) | 28 (82.35) | |
| Improvement in sputum viscosity | ||||
| DXM | 6 (18.18) | 21 (63.64) | 24 (72.72) | 0.24 |
| MP | 9 (26.47) | 22 (64.70) | 34 (100.0) | |
| Improvement in dyspnea | ||||
| DXM | 28 (84.85) | 30 (90.91) | 30 (90.91) | 0.02 |
| MP | 19 (55.88) | 26 (76.47) | 32 (94.12) | |
| Improvement in cough | ||||
| DXM | 9 (27.27) | 10 (30.30) | 25 (75.76) | 0.035 |
| MP | 18 (52.94) | 23 (67.65) | 27 (79.41) | |
| O 2 Saturation | ||||
| DXM | 79.26 ± 6.61 | 87.70 ± 3.19 | 90.97 ± 3.31 | 0.87 |
| MP | 78.64 ± 8.24 | 89.23 ± 2.89 | 92.52 ± 2.74 | |
| PaCO 2 | ||||
| DXM | 64.85 ± 10.00 | 49.50 ± 6.67 | 44.32 ± 3.35 | 0.83 |
| MP | 64.85 ± 12.52 | 50.32 ± 4.46 | 45.32 ± 3.91 | |
| HCO 3 | ||||
| DXM | 26.55 ± 5.37 | 22.58 ± 3.63 | 23.12 ± 2.17 | 0.12 |
| MP | 27.76 ± 5.52 | 25.73 ± 2.75 | 23.91 ± 2.23 | |
| Serum pH | ||||
| DXM | 7.32 ± 0.04 | 7.32 ± 0.04 | 7.36 ± 0.05 | 0.42 |
| MP | 7.30 ± 0.04 | 7.32 ± 0.04 | 7.36 ± 0.03 | |
| White blood cell count/mm 3 | ||||
| DXM | 8.49 ± 3.6 | 9.16 ± 6.25 | 6.81 ± 1.92 | 0.24 |
| MP | 7.35 ± 3.08 | 11.89 ± 14.29 | 6.80 ± 1.95 | |