Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29911468›Full record

SynthesisThe Journal of international medical research2018

Do low-dose corticosteroids improve survival or shock reversal from septic shock in adults? Meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis.

Rui Xu, Qian Wang, Yan Huang, Ling Wu, Qi Liu, Wei Hu, Chengfu Zhou, Quan Du

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The Journal of international medical research, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Tocilizumab in patients infected by SARS-CoV2.Medicina clinica (English ed.) · 2021
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Rui Xu1 Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Qian Wang2 Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Yan Huang2 Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Ling Wu2 Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Qi Liu2 Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Wei Hu2 Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Chengfu Zhou2 Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Quan Du2 Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Dalian Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective This meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed to determine whether low-dose corticosteroids (LDCs) can improve survival or shock reversal from septic shock in adults. Methods A literature search was performed using several databases (Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Chinese Biological Medical Database) until 23 October 2017. The systematic review was registered in PROSPERO. Results Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (n = 1182) were included. LDC intervention improved 7-day shock reversal compared with the control group (relative risk, 1.36; TSA-adjusted 95% confidence interval, 1.20-1.54). LDCs had no statistically significant effects on gastrointestinal bleeding or superinfection. LDCs did not reduce 28-day mortality from septic shock (relative risk, 0.96; TSA-adjusted 95% confidence interval, 0.74-1.24). The TSA indicated that RCTs of about 3000 patients would be needed to draw definitive conclusions; similar results were obtained in a subgroup analysis of nonresponders. Conclusions LDCs improve 7-day shock reversal. However, whether LDCs improve 28-day survival from septic shock in adults remains unclear. The results of well-designed larger RCTs are needed.

Indexed as

AdultDose-Response Relationship, DrugGlucocorticoidsHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicShock, SepticGlucocorticoidsmeta-analysisSeptic shockshock reversalsteroidssurvivaltrial sequential analysis

Identifiers

PMID29911468
PMCPMC6124298
OpenAlexW2809374319

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.