Corticosteroid therapy in critically ill patients with COVID-19: a multicenter, retrospective study

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-020-03429-w

Out of the 294 critically ill patients affected by COVID-19, 183 (62.2%) received corticosteroids, with methylprednisolone as the most frequently administered corticosteroid (175 accounting for 96%). Of those treated with corticosteroids, 69.4% received corticosteroid prior to ICU admission. No association was found between corticosteroid use and SARS-CoV-2 RNA clearance even after stratification by initiation time of corticosteroids and adjustments for confounding factors (corticosteroids use </= 3 days initiation vs no corticosteroids use) using MSM were performed. Early initiation of corticosteroid use (</= 3 days after ICU admission) was associated with an increased 90-day mortality. Early use of methylprednisolone in the ICU is therefore not recommended in patients with severe COVID-19.

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