Table 2.

General characteristics of included studies.

Study	Location	Sample size (T/C)	Age (yr, T/C)	Gender (M/F)	Intervention	Control	Outcomes	Follow-up (d)
Chen 2016[29]	China	45/43	T:33.66 ± 9.56	T:28/17	Dexamethasone	Routine care	⑨ ⑩	5
			C:34.05 ± 8.98	C:27/16
Tomazini 2020[30]	Brazil	151/148	T:60.1 ± 15.8	T:90/61	Dexamethasone	Standard care	①②③④⑦⑧⑬⑭⑮⑯⑰⑱	28
			C:62.7 ± 13.1	C:97/51
Villar 2020[31]	Spain	139/138	T:56 ± 14	T:96/43	Dexamethasone	Routine care	①②③⑤⑥⑬⑭⑮	60
			C:58 ± 15	C:95/43
Zhu 1998[32]	China	20/18	T:36.5 ± 15.4	T:NR	Dexamethasone	Routine care	①⑪⑫⑲	9
			C:35.8 ± 15.3	C:NR

Notes: T, treatment group; C, control group; M, Male; F, female; NR, not report; ① all-cause mortality; ② mechanical ventilation duration (day); ③ ventilator-free status at 28 days; ④ ICU free (day);⑤ ICU mortality; ⑥ hospital mortality; ⑦ sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) as mean and range; ⑧ SOFA as No. of patients; ⑨ peak airway pressure (cmH₂O); ⑩ arterial oxygen pressure (mm Hg); ⑪ days of PaO₂ > 10kPa; ⑫ PaO₂; ⑬ new infection; ⑭ bacteremia; ⑮ insulin use for hyperglycemia; ⑯ ventilator-associated pneumonia; ⑰ catheter-related bloodstream infection; ⑱ catheter-associated urinary tract infections; ⑲ upper gastrointestinal bleeding.