Table 3.
Characteristics of the included studies that assessed the effect of corticosteroids on mortality.
| Author, publication or posted date | Sample size (CS vs. non-CS) | Age in CS | Age in non-CS | Eligibility criteria | Types of CS | Dosage (mg/day) | Timing from symptom onset (days) | Duration (days) | Mortality type | Mortality in CS | Mortality in non-CS | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The RECOVERY Collaborative Group, Jul. 17, 2020 |
1535 (501 vs. 1034) |
69.4 ± 17.5 | “No receipt of oxygen” | DEX | 6.0 | 6 (3–10) | 10 (or until hospital discharge if sooner) | 28 days |
89/501 (17.8) |
145/1034 (14.0) |
> 0.05 | |
|
3883 (1279 vs. 2604) |
66.7 ± 15.3 | “Oxygen only” | 9 (5–12) |
298/1279 (23.3) |
682/2604 (26.2) |
< 0.05 | ||||||
|
Wu, May 11, 2020 |
1514 (531 vs. 983) |
63.0 (53.0–71.0) |
60.0 (50.0–69.0) |
Severe (noncritical)a | No restriction |
40.0 (37.3–57.1) MP-equivalent |
n.d |
6.0 (3.0–10.0) |
In-hospital |
83/531 (15.6) |
26/983 (2.6) |
0.166b |
|
Li, Sep. 2, 2020 |
110 of 475 (55 vs. 55) |
59 (46–68) |
58 (43–70) |
Moderatea | MP or PDN |
MP: 20–40 PDN: 20 MP-equivalent |
n.d | 2 (1–5) | In-hospital |
1/55 (1.8) |
0/55 (0) |
0.315b |
The continuous variables are summarized as the medians (interquartile ranges) or mean (± standard deviation) and the categorical variables are presented as numbers (percentages). a: The severity setting was defined according to the guidelines published by the Chinese National Health Committee (Ver.7). b: p values are presented after adjustment by propensity score. CS: corticosteroid, IMV: invasive mechanical ventilation, DEX: dexamethasone, MP: methylprednisolone, PDN: prednisone, n.d.: not described.