A team led by Jonathan Sterne, Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, and Deputy Director of the NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Bristol BRC) has conducted a meta-analysis of seven trials and found that corticosteroids reduce the risk of death among critically ill COVID-19 patients by 20 per cent. The team included international collaborators and was co-ordinated by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The study looked at mortality over a 28-day period after the start of treatment. They found that treatment with one of the three corticosteroids dexamethasone, hydrocortisone or methylprednisolone led to an estimated 20 per cent reduction in the risk of death. The dexamethasone finding is mainly based on results from the RECOVERY trial, which were included in the analysis.
Association Between Administration of Systemic Corticosteroids and Mortality Among Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19
A Meta-analysis
The WHO Rapid Evidence Appraisal for COVID-19 Therapies (REACT) Working Group
Article Information
JAMA. 2020;324(13):1330-1341. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.17023