Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34541972›Full record

SynthesisExpert review of respiratory medicine2022

Effects of different corticosteroid therapy on severe COVID-19 patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Jiayuan Tu, Xiaoqiao Mo, Xiangda Zhang, Jing Xun, Xueshun Chen, Yun Liu, Wenhua Jing, Tian Xie

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Expert review of respiratory medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Is COVID-19 Infection A Risk Factor for Intubation-Related Acquired Airway Stenosis?Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2026
    Article
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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.

Jiayuan TuSchool of Chemistry and Life Science, Nanjing University Jinling College, Nanjing, China.
Xiaoqiao MoDepartment of Operating Room, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Xiangda ZhangDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Jing XunSchool of Nursing, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China.
Xueshun ChenSchool of Chemistry and Life Science, Nanjing University Jinling College, Nanjing, China.
Yun LiuJinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Wenhua JingSchool of Chemistry and Life Science, Nanjing University Jinling College, Nanjing, China.
Tian XieDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Union Shenzhen Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo assess the efficacy and safety of corticosteroids in COVID-19 patients compared with standard care or placebo.

methodsElectronic databases were searched to identify relevant studies. The mortality, adverse events, and other data from studies were pooled for statistical analysis.

resultsTen randomized clinical trials were eligible for inclusion. Corticosteroid treatment in COVID-19 patients did not significantly reduce the risk of death (RR: 0.93; CI: 0.82, 1.05) and the need for mechanical ventilation (RR: 0.82; CI: 0.62, 1.08). No mortality reduction was also observed in the subgroup of patients requiring mechanical ventilation (RR: 0.90; CI: 0.79-1.03). The use of corticosteroids increased mortality in the subgroup of patients not requiring oxygen support (RR: 1.24; CI: 1.00-1.55). The survival benefit was observed in a low dosage of corticosteroids (RR: 0.90; CI: 0.84-0.97) and dexamethasone (RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.79-1.04). There was no difference in the rates of adverse events (RR: 1.13; CI: 0.58, 2.20) and secondary infections (RR: 0.87; CI: 0.66, 1.15).

conclusionCorticosteroid treatment did not convincingly improve survival in severe COVID-19 patients. Low-dose dexamethasone could be considered as a drug for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. More high-quality trials are needed to further verify this conclusion.

Indexed as

COVID-19Adrenal Cortex HormonesHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicRespiration, ArtificialSARS-CoV-2Adrenal Cortex Hormonesadverse eventscorticosteroidsCOVID-19dosemortality

Identifiers

PMID34541972
PMCPMC8500308

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.