Clinical observation of glucocorticoid therapy for critically ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Issue 2 (February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhu, Yingjie; Chen, Dongmei; Zhu, Yanfang; Ge, Xuhua; Li, Zhuo; Miao, Hongjun
• Is Part Of: Journal of international medical research. Volume 51:Issue 2(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-02
• Subjects: Glucocorticoid -- COVID-19 -- pneumonia -- clinical effect -- survival -- severity; Medicine -- Periodicals; Pharmacology -- Periodicals; 610.5
• DOI: 10.1177/03000605221149292
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0300-0605

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to investigate the clinical effects of intravenous glucocorticoid (GC) therapy for severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: Seventy-two patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 pneumonia who were discharged or died between 5 January 2020 and 3 March 2020 at Huangshi Infectious Disease Hospital were included. Patients were divided into a treatment group (GC group) and non-treatment group (non-GC group) according to whether they had received GCs within 7 days of hospital admission. Results: There was no significant difference between groups for Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score and 28-day survival rate. The rate of invasive mechanical ventilation was higher in the GC group than in the non-GC group. On day 7 after admission, the GC group had shorter fever duration and higher white blood cell count than the non-GC group. In subgroup analysis by age and severity, there was no significant difference in 28-day survival rate and other indicators. Compared with those in the non-GC group, patients in the GC group more frequently required admission to the intensive care unit. Conclusion: In the present study, we found no significant improvement in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia treated with GCs within 7 days of admission.