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. 2019 Dec 6;2019(12):CD002243. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002243.pub4

Blum 2015.

Methods Multi‐centre. randomized, placebo‐controlled, 2‐parallel‐group study
Dates study was conducted: from December 2009 to May 2014
Participants Adults (n = 800) patients hospitalized with community‐acquired pneumonia
Subgroups based on adrenal status assessed by a 250‐µg ACTH test
Setting: emergency and medical wards
Study location: Switzerland
Interventions
  • Prednisone 50 mg per day for 7 days

  • Placebo

Outcomes Primary
  • Clinical stability


Secondary
  • All‐cause mortality within 30 and 180 days post randomization

  • ICU admission and length of stay

  • Duration of antibiotic treatment

  • Disease activity scores

  • Adverse events

Notes We contacted study authors and obtained access to trial protocol and some missing data
Funding source: Swiss National Science Foundation, Viollier AG, Nora van Meeuwen Haefliger Stiftung, Julia und Gottfried Bangerter‐Rhyner Stiftung
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Computer‐generated randomization list
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Low risk Randomization was centralized
Generator and executor of randomization were separated
Variable block sizes of 4 to 6
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Participants: yes
Caregivers: yes
Data collectors: yes
Outcome assessors: yes
Data analysts: yes
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Lost to follow‐up: none
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk Outcomes reported matched outcomes planned by trial protocol, which was publicly released before the end of the recruitment period
Other bias Low risk Contact with trial authors; access to trial protocol but could not identify areas of bias