Table 6.

Selected randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of glucocorticoids and control group(s).

Randomized Controlled Trials	Patient Characteristics	Comparison groups	Number of patients included	Primary Outcome Measure	Main results
Recovery Collaborative Group, Horby P et al. [70]	Hospitalized patients with COVID-19	Dexamethasone+ usual care vs. usual care	2104 vs. 4321	28-day mortality	21.6% vs. 24.6%; RR: 0.83; 95% CI, 0.74–0.92; p: <0.001
CAPE COVID Trial, Dequin et al. [71]	Patients admitted to the intensive care unit for COVID-19–related acute respiratory failure	Hydrocortisone vs. placebo	76 vs. 73	Treatment failure on day 21	42.1% vs. 50.7%; difference of proportions: −8.6%; 95% CI, −24.9% to 7.7%; p: 0.29
REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid domain, Angus et al. [72]	Presumed or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who were admitted to an intensive care unit for provision of respiratory or cardiovascular organ support	Fixed 7-day course of hydrocortisone vs. shock-dependent course vs. no hydrocortisone	143 vs. 152 vs. 108	Organ support–free days within 21 days	Bayesian probability of superiority 93% for fixed-dose hydrocortisone, 80% for shock-dependent hydrocortisone compared with no hydrocortisone
The CoDEX trial, Tomazini et al. [73]	Patients with COVID-19 and moderate to severe ARDS	Dexamethasone+ standard of care vs. standard of care	151 vs. 148	Ventilator-free days during the first 28 days	6.6 (95% CI, 5.0–8.2) vs. 4.0 (95% CI, 2.9–5.4); difference: 2.6; 95% CI, 0.2–4.38; p: 0.04
Metcovid trial, Jeronimo et al. [74]	Adults hospitalized with suspected COVID-19 and in use of supplementary oxygen or under IMV	Methylprednisolone vs. placebo	194 vs. 199	28-day mortality	37.1% vs. 38.2%; p: 0.62

Abbreviations: COVID-19, coronavirus diseases 2019; ARDS; acute respiratory distress syndrome; RR, rate ratio; CI, confidence interval; IMV, invasive mechanical ventilation; SARS-CoV-2, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2.