Table 1.
Characteristics of the study population
| Variables | No treatment (N = 634) |
Corticosteroid treatment (N = 3592) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (Q1; Q3), years | 63 (51; 72) | 63 (54; 71) | 0.613 |
| Age ≥ 60 years, n (%) | 382 (60) | 2233 (62) | 0.360 |
| Male sex, n (%) | 442 (70) | 2534 (71) | 0.712 |
| BMI, median (Q1; Q3), kg/m2 | 27.8 (25.6; 31.5) | 29.0 (26.1; 32.4) | < 0.001 |
| BMI, n (%) | 0.033 | ||
| Underweight (< 18.5 kg/m2) | 0 (0) | 8 (0.3) | 0.368 |
| Normal weight (≥ 18.5 to < 25 kg/m2) | 116 (21) | 518 (16) | 0.079 |
| Pre-obese (≥ 25 to < 30 kg/m2) | 252 (45) | 1342 (43) | 0.201 |
| Obese (≥ 30 kg/m2) | 188 (34) | 1286 (41) | 0.013 |
| Comorbidities, n (%)a | 264 (42) | 1585 (44) | 0.245 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 144 (23) | 890 (25) | 0.265 |
| Chronic liver disease | 24 (4) | 104 (3) | 0.228 |
| Chronic heart disease | 81 (13) | 437 (12) | 0.646 |
| Chronic lung disease | 80 (13) | 508 (14) | 0.320 |
| Chronic renal failure | 40 (6) | 213 (6) | 0.712 |
| Immunosuppression | 7 (1) | 85 (2) | 0.045 |
| Days since initial symptoms to ICU admission, median (Q1; Q3) | 8 (6; 11) | 9 (7; 12) | < 0.001 |
| Treatment before admission, n (%) | |||
| Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor | 107 (38) | 706 (40) | 0.620 |
| Statin | 165 (26) | 1135 (32) | 0.006 |
| Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug | 66 (11) | 432 (12) | 0.278 |
| Characteristics at ICU admission | |||
| Glasgow Coma Scale, median (Q1; Q3) | 15 (15; 15) | 15 (15; 15) | 0.184 |
| APACHE-II score, median (Q1; Q3) | 11 (8; 16) | 12 (9; 15) | 0.505 |
| APACHE-II score ≥ 12, n (%) | 169 (50) | 941 (50) | 0.920 |
| SOFA score, median (Q1; Q3) | 5 (3; 7) | 4 (4; 7) | 0.319 |
| SOFA score ≥ 5, n (%) | 204 (56) | 1150 (49) | 0.021 |
| SOFA hemodynamic component, median (Q1; Q3) | 0 (0; 4) | 0 (0; 4) | < 0.001 |
| SOFA renal component, median (Q1; Q3) | 0 (0; 0) | 0 (0; 0) | 0.394 |
| Temperature, median (Q1; Q3), °C | 37.1 (36.3; 38) | 36.8 (36; 37.5) | < 0.001 |
| Respiratory rate, median (Q1; Q3), bpm | 25 (20; 30) | 26 (22; 32) | < 0.001 |
| Arterial blood gases at ICU admission | |||
| PaO2/FiO2 ratio, median (Q1; Q3) | 127 (86; 184) | 107 (78; 156) | < 0.001 |
| PaO2/FiO2 ratio in ventilated patients, median (Q1; Q3) | 123 (83; 178) | 107 (78; 153) | < 0.001 |
| PaO2/FiO2 ratio categories in ventilated patients, n (%) | < 0.001 | ||
| Severe (< 100) | 152 (36) | 1221 (45) | < 0.001 |
| Moderate (≥ 100 to < 200) | 181 (43) | 1113 (41) | 0.502 |
| Mild (≥ 200 to < 300) | 64 (15) | 262 (10) | 0.001 |
| No ARDS (≥ 300) | 23 (5) | 95 (4) | 0.052 |
| pH, median (Q1; Q3) | 7.40 (7.32; 7.45) | 7.42 (7.35; 7.46) | < 0.001 |
| PaCO2, median (Q1; Q3), mmHg | 39.7 (34; 47) | 38.4 (33.7; 45.6) | 0.176 |
| Laboratory findings at ICU admission | |||
| Haemoglobin, median (Q1; Q3), g/dL | 13.1 (11.9; 14.2) | 13.3 (12.2; 14.4) | 0.002 |
| Leucocyte count, median (Q1; Q3), 109/L | 7.9 (5.8; 11.5) | 9.1 (6.5; 12.5) | < 0.001 |
| Lymphocyte count, median (Q1; Q3), 109/L | 0.8 (0.56; 1.1) | 0.7 (0.49; 0.97) | < 0.001 |
| Neutrophil count, median (Q1; Q3), 109/L | 6.5 (4.5; 9.7) | 7.8 (5.3; 11.1) | < 0.001 |
| Monocyte count, median (Q1; Q3), 109/L | 0.35 (0.2; 0.54) | 0.35 (0.2; 0.52) | 0.965 |
| Platelet count, median (Q1; Q3), 109/L | 221 (169; 299) | 235 (179; 307) | 0.005 |
| d-dimer, median (Q1; Q3), ng/mL | 946 (502; 2,260) | 941 (500; 2,116) | 0.953 |
| C-reactive protein, median (Q1; Q3), mg/L | 150 (84; 237) | 130 (64; 222) | 0.001 |
| C-reactive protein ≥ 150 mg/L, n (%) | 284 (50) | 1485 (44) | 0.008 |
| Serum creatinine, median (Q1; Q3), mg/dL | 0.87 (0.69; 1.1) | 0.84 (0.68; 1.07) | 0.126 |
| LDH, median (Q1; Q3), U/L | 473 (362; 632) | 482 (364; 657) | 0.289 |
| Ferritin, median (Q1; Q3), ng/mL | 1076 (531; 1730) | 1164 (626; 1949) | 0.174 |
| High inflammation, n (%)b | 244 (79) | 1699 (73) | 0.013 |
| Ventilatory support, n (%) | |||
| Mechanical ventilation at ICU admissionc | < 0.001 | ||
| No mechanical ventilation | 89 (14) | 218 (6) | < 0.001 |
| High-flow nasal cannula | 147 (24) | 1133 (32) | < 0.001 |
| Non-invasive mechanical ventilation | 23 (4) | 375 (11) | < 0.001 |
| Invasive mechanical ventilation | 356 (58) | 1789 (51) | < 0.001 |
| ECMO support during ICU admission | 9 (1) | 70 (2) | 0.364 |
| COVID-19 therapies during ICU admission, n (%) | |||
| Ribavirin | 6 (1) | 2 (0.1) | < 0.001 |
| Lopinavir/ritonavir | 493 (78) | 1385 (39) | < 0.001 |
| Remdesivir | 39 (6) | 653 (18) | < 0.001 |
| Interferon alpha | 8 (1) | 11 (0.3) | 0.004 |
| Interferon beta | 301 (48) | 538 (15) | < 0.001 |
| Chloroquine | 72 (11) | 96 (3) | < 0.001 |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 468 (74) | 1556 (43) | < 0.001 |
| Tocilizumab | 221 (35) | 1498 (42) | 0.001 |
| Darunavir/cobicistat | 22 (3) | 41 (1) | < 0.001 |
ICU intensive care unit, Q1 first quartile, Q3 third quartile, BMI body mass index, APACHE acute physiology and chronic health evaluation, SOFA sequential organ failure assessment, PaO2 partial pressure of arterial oxygen, FiO2 fraction of inspired oxygen, LDH lactate dehydrogenase, ECMO extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Percentages calculated on non-missing data
aPossibly > 1 comorbidity
bAt least two of the following criteria: ferritin > 1,000 ng/mL or d-dimer > 1000 ng/mL or C-reactive protein > 100 mg/L
cPatients who received high-flow nasal cannula but needed non-invasive intubation were included in the non-invasive mechanical ventilation group. Patients who received high-flow nasal cannula and/or non-invasive ventilation but needed intubation were included in the invasive mechanical ventilation group