SynthesisBMC geriatrics2025
Efficacy and safety of glucocorticoids therapy of severe community-acquired pneumonia in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC geriatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Efficacy of higher-dose versus lower-dose corticosteroids in community-acquired pneumonia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Critical care (London, England) · 2026Pooled it
- The Impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Co‑Infection on the Pathogen Spectrum and Outcomes of Severe Community‑Acquired Pneumonia: Insights from Metagenomic Next‑Generation Sequencing.Infection and drug resistance · 2026Article
- A case of severeRespiratory medicine case reports · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe use of corticosteroids in older adult patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP) remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to thoroughly assess the efficacy and safety of corticosteroids in the treatment of older adult patients with sCAP.
methodsWe performed a comprehensive search in Public Medline, Excerpta Medica Database, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, and SinoMed, covering records from the earliest available to September 15, 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality, with safety outcomes including gastrointestinal bleeding, secondary infections, and acute kidney injury.
resultsThis meta-analysis included data from nine RCTs with 2,034 patients, showing that corticosteroid therapy was associated with lower 30-day all-cause mortality (risk ratio (RR) = 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52-0.86; P = 0.002). Corticosteroid use also shortens hospital and intensive care unit stays, reduces mechanical ventilation requirements, lowers vasopressor dependence, and decreases C-reactive protein levels. Regarding safety, corticosteroids did not significantly increase risks of superinfection (RR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.54-1.13; P = 0.19), upper gastrointestinal bleeding (RR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.35-1.44; P = 0.34), or acute kidney injury (RR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.23-2.21; P = 0.56).
conclusionsThis meta-analysis demonstrated that glucocorticoid use is associated with higher survival in older patients with sCAP; however, the safety outcomes remain uncertain due to variability in study definitions.
trial registrationPROSPERO CRD 42024591076 was successfully registered on September 30, 2024.
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Registered trials
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.