Corticosteroid Pulses for Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: Effects on Mortality
Table 1
Baseline features of patients from all centers combined.
Treatment
Overall population
Matched population
Methylprednisolone (n = 124)
Usual care (n = 133)
Methylprednisolone (n = 117)
Usual care (n = 88)
Baseline characteristics
Gender (male) no- (%)
77 (62%)
69 (51.8%)
74 (63.3%)
45 (51.1%)
Age (mean-years)
74 [59-83]
76 [65-84]
75[60-83]
76 [66-83]
> 80 years no- (%)
37 (29.8%)
47 (35.3%)
36 (30.8%)
36 (30.8%)
Autoimmune disease
4 (3.2%)
3 (2.3%)
3 (2.5%)
3 (3.4%)
Cancer (%)
17 (13.7%)
17 (12.8%)
17 (14.5%)
11 (12.5%)
Chronic kidney disease (%)
6 (4.8%)
14 (10.5%)
6 (5.1%)
9 (10.2%)
Dementia (%)
7 (5.6%)
21 (18.7%)
6 (5.1%)
12 (13.6%)
Diabetes
40 (32.3%)
52 (39.1%)
38 (32.5%)
36 (40.9%)
Dyslipidemia
44 (35.8%)
40 (30.1%)
42 (35.9%)
29 (33%)
Hypertension
63 (50.8%)
67 (50.4%)
42 (35.9%)
50 (56.8%)
Obesity
22 (17.8%)
18 (13.5%)
20 (17.1%)
13 (14.7%)
Smoker
32 (25.8%)
29(21.8%)
30(25.6%)
15 (17%)
Prior AIT/stroke (%)
7 (5.6%)
9 (6.8%)
7 (6%)
5 (5.7%)
Prior IHD (%)
12 (9.7%)
12 (9%)
12 (10.2%)
10 (11.4%)
Prior lung disease
20 (16.1%)
23 (17.3%)
20 (17.1%)
17 (19.3%)
Charlson comorbidity index
1 [0-2]
1 [0-4]
1 [0-2]
1 [0-2]
Previous treatment
Corticosteroids
4 (3.2%)
2 (1.5%)
4 (3.4%)
1 (1.2%)
Anticoagulants
14 (11.2%)
10 (7.5%)
14 (11.9%)
6 (6.8%)
Main findings at admission
Respiratory insufficiency
104 (83.9%)
105 (80.8%)
99 (84.6%)
73 (83.9%)
Bilateral infiltrates chest X-ray
103 (83.1%)
91 (68.4%)
105 (89.7%)
67 (76.1%)
pO2/FiO2
239.5 [142.2-276.1]
238.1 [192.8-285.7]
250 [153.2-276.2]
238 [180.5-276.1]
COVID GRAM
155.8 [83.3-230]
152.3 [69-235.6]
157.5 [83.6-231.6]
157.7 [82-233.2]
Laboratory findings at admission
Glucose (mg/dl)
114.5 [94.2-145]
118.5 [100.1-168.2]
114.6 [94.5-147]
114.3 [99.2-180]
C-reactive protein (mg/L)
126.2 [84-200.2]
85.2 [36.1-180]
124.5 [66.7-194.5]
111.5 [60.9-213.5]
Creatinine (mg/dL)
1.06 [0.81-1.47]
0.99 [0.78-1.53]
1.06 [0.8-1.45]
1.01 [0.79-1.62]
D-dimer (ng/mL)
842 [448-1.450]
1,105 [540.2-2,532]
848 [4.127-1,425]
1,250 [678-2.532]
Ferritin (ng/mL)
1,533.5 [764-2,351.2]
921 [359.5-1,466]
1,475 [742-2,405]
1,104 [556-1,650]
Interleukin-6 (pg/mL)
35.5 [10.15-118.7]
51[17.4-119]
35.5 [10.1-118.7]
59 [17.6-123]
Lactate dehydrogenase (UI/L)
348.5 [283.7-460.7]
312[248-394]
341 [283-455]
326 [259-396.5]
Lymphocytes (cells/mm3)
1,000 [672-1,357]
1,000 [715-1,415]
1,000 [670-1,320]
1,010 [730-1,467]
Neutrophils (cells/)
5,050 [3,575-7,212]
5,670 [3,895-8,805]
5,997 [3,580-7,085]
5,155 [133-179]
Procalcitonin (ng/mL)
0.18 [0.1-0.37]
0.15 [0.07-0.5]
0.16 [0.1-0.3]
0.19 [0.1-1.5]
Specific COVID-19 treatment
Azithromycin
115 (92.7%)
94 (71.2%)
108 (92.3%)
64 (73.3%)
Interferon beta-1b
48 (38.7%)
23 (17.4%)
44 (37.6%)
20 (23%)
Hydroxychloroquine
120 (96.8%)
121 (91.7%)
113 (96.6%)
80 (92%)
Lopinavir/ritonavir
106 (85.5%)
92 (69.7%)
102 (87.2%)
65 (74.7%)
Colchicine
16 (12.9%)
2 (1.5%)
15 (12.8%)
2 (2.3%)
Nonspecific COVID-19 treatment
Prophylactic anticoagulation
69 (56.1%)
90 (68.7%)
66 (56.4%)
57 (66.3%)
Intermediate anticoagulation
12 (9.8%)
4 (3.1%)
10 (8.5%)
4 (4.7%)
Full anticoagulation
26 (21.1%)
16 (12.2%)
26 (22.2%)
13 (15.1%)
Data are shown as the median (IQR) or (%). Significant () difference between methylprednisolone and usual care population in both groups, the overall population, and propensity score match. It was calculated using the test or Kruskal-Wallis test as appropriate. .
