Abstract
The efficacy of glucocorticoids in COVID-19 is unclear. This study was designed to determine whether systemic glucocorticoid treatment in COVID-19 patients is associated with reduced mortality or mechanical ventilation. This observational study included 1,806 hospitalized COVID-19 patients; 140 were treated with glucocorticoids within 48 hours of admission. Early use of glucocorticoids was not associated with mortality or mechanical ventilation. However, glucocorticoid treatment of patients with initial C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥20 mg/dL was associated with significantly reduced risk of mortality or mechanical ventilation (odds ratio, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.08- 0.70), while glucocorticoid treatment of patients with CRP <10 mg/dL was associated with significantly increased risk of mortality or mechanical ventilation (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.39-5.03). Whether glucocorticoid treatment is associated with changes in mortality or mechanical ventilation in patients with high or low CRP needs study in prospective, randomized clinical trials.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 489-493 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of hospital medicine |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2020 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Leadership and Management
- Internal Medicine
- Fundamentals and skills
- Health Policy
- Care Planning
- Assessment and Diagnosis