Tassniyom 1993

Methods	Study design: randomized controlled trial Study dates: 1987 to 1988 Diagnostics: viral isolation, serological diagnosis: haemagglutinin inhibition (HI) test, ELISA for dengue antibodies
Participants	Number of participants: randomized: 63 enrolled (32 in corticosteroid group; 31 in placebo group) Age: 3 to 14 years Inclusion criteria: children diagnosed with dengue shock syndrome using World Health Organization clinical criteria and serological confirmation Exclusions: not specified
Interventions	1. Methylprednisolone (Solumedrol, Upjohn): single intravenous dose of 30 mg/kg in addition to fluid replacement 2. Placebo: 5% dextrose in normal saline solution
Outcomes	1. Death 2. Number needing blood transfusion 3. Duration of hospitalization 4. Number getting complications (separate data for each complication)
Notes	Location: Khon Kaen University Hospital, and Khon Kaen Provincial Hospital in Khon Kaen, Thailand Transmission: not specified Funding: Rockefeller Foundation (grant RF 87006#95)
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Quote: "Block randomisation" and "Generation of allocation sequence: generated by statistician and running number put on drug package"
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Email correspondence with author: "By using sealed envelopes"
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Quote: "Double blind", "All specimens were identified only by code number" and "identical placebo"
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Email reply from author: outcome assessors was blinded to the intervention, they "knew patients by code number" only
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	No losses to follow‐up were reported
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	No evidence of selective reporting
Other bias	Low risk	No other bias identified