Effect of adjunctive corticosteroids on clinical outcomes in adult patients with septic shock – a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and trial sequential analysis.

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Effect of adjunctive corticosteroids on clinical outcomes in adult patients with septic shock - a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and trial sequential analysis.

J Crit Care. 2018 Sep 14;48:296-306

Authors: Zhou X, Hu C, Yao L, Fan Z, Sun L, Wang Y, Xu Z

Abstract
PURPOSE: To assess the effect of corticosteroids on clinical outcomes in patients with septic shock.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched databases for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published prior to March 12, 2018. The relative risk (RR), mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were determined. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) were performed.
RESULTS: Seventeen RCTs were identified. Overall, corticosteroid therapy was not associated with a lower short-term mortality compared with placebo. Sub-analysis of trials with a low risk of bias demonstrated a beneficial effect of corticosteroids in reducing short-term mortality. Sub-analysis revealed that a daily dose of 200 mg hydrocortisone provided no benefit in reducing short-term mortality (random-effects RR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.90-1.06, P = 0.555; TSA-adjusted CI: 0.88-1.09; I2 = 0%), and the boundary for futility was crossed. However, a significant reduction in short-term mortality was found in a subgroup of trials that received dual corticosteroids (random-effects RR = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.79-0.97, P = 0.013; I2 = 0%), but this benefit disappeared after adjustment with TSA (TSA-adjusted CI: 0.76-1.02).
CONCLUSIONS: Future trials are unlikely to detect a reduction in short-term mortality at a daily doses of 200 mg hydrocortisone. More evidence is required to confirm the beneficial effects of dual corticosteroid therapy.

PMID: 30269009 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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