Low-dose corticosteroid therapy appears to have a beneficial role in the management of severely ill COVID-19 patients

Objectives:
Has corticosteroid therapy a beneficial role in the management of severely ill COVID-19 patients?

Study design:
This review article included studies with 10,815 ARDS cases among COVID-19 patients.

Results and conclusions:   
The investigators found overall pooled mortality among 10,815 ARDS cases in COVID-19 patients was 39% [95% CI = 23% to 56%].

The investigators found pooled mortality for China was 69% [95% CI = 67% to 72%]. In Europe, the highest mortality among COVID-19 patients with ARDS was reported in Poland [73%, 95% CI = 58 to 86%], while Germany had the lowest mortality [13%, 95% CI = 2% to 29%].

The investigators found median crude mortality rate of COVID-19 patients with reported corticosteroid use was 28.0% [lower quartile = 13.9% and upper quartile = 53.6%].

The investigators concluded high mortality in COVID-19 associated ARDS necessitates a prompt and aggressive treatment strategy including corticosteroids. Most of the studies have no information on the dosing regimen of corticosteroid therapy; however, low-dose corticosteroid therapy or pulse corticosteroid therapy appears to have a beneficial role in the management of severely ill COVID-19 patients.

Original title:
Mortality in COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and corticosteroids use: a systematic review and meta-analysis by Hasan SS, Capstick T, […], Zaidi STR.

Link:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32734777/

Additional information of El Mondo:
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