Impact of Systemic Corticosteroids on Mortality in Older Adults With Critical COVID-19 Pneumonia.
COVID-19 pneumonia
Corticosteroid treatment
Critical ill patients
In-hospital mortality
Older adults
Journal
The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences
ISSN: 1758-535X
Titre abrégé: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 9502837
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
13 07 2021
13 07 2021
Historique:
received:
04
01
2021
pubmed:
13
3
2021
medline:
30
7
2021
entrez:
12
3
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
The most susceptible population group to critical and fatal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is older adults. In severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, the host immune response is thought to play a key role in the pathophysiological effects of lung damage. Therefore, corticosteroid therapy could modulate inflammation-mediated pulmonary injury and thereby reduce progression to severe respiratory failure and death. The aim of this study was to analyze the safety and clinical efficacy of corticosteroid therapy in older adults with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. We reviewed the clinical records of confirmed COVID-19 patients aged 75 years or older admitted to our hospital over a 3-month period (March 1-May 31, 2020). A total of 143 patients were included in the study cohort. From 2 April, 2020, in accordance with World Health Organization guidance on COVID-19, our hospital protocol added corticosteroid for COVID-19 treatment. We compared in-hospital mortality among patients with critical COVID-19 who received corticosteroids therapy and those who did not. In total, 88 patients (61.5%) were treated with corticosteroids, and 55 patients (38.4%) were not. Both groups were similar in baseline characteristics. The median age was 85 years (interquartile range: 82-89), and 61.5% (88/143) were male. In-hospital mortality was lower in the corticosteroid group (68.2%) compared with patients in the noncorticosteroid group (81.8%). Treatment with corticosteroids was an independent survival factor (hazard ratio: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.41-0.93; p = .006). In critically ill older adults with COVID-19 pneumonia, the use of corticosteroid treatment resulted in lower mortality without severe adverse events.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
The most susceptible population group to critical and fatal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is older adults. In severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, the host immune response is thought to play a key role in the pathophysiological effects of lung damage. Therefore, corticosteroid therapy could modulate inflammation-mediated pulmonary injury and thereby reduce progression to severe respiratory failure and death. The aim of this study was to analyze the safety and clinical efficacy of corticosteroid therapy in older adults with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
METHOD
We reviewed the clinical records of confirmed COVID-19 patients aged 75 years or older admitted to our hospital over a 3-month period (March 1-May 31, 2020). A total of 143 patients were included in the study cohort. From 2 April, 2020, in accordance with World Health Organization guidance on COVID-19, our hospital protocol added corticosteroid for COVID-19 treatment. We compared in-hospital mortality among patients with critical COVID-19 who received corticosteroids therapy and those who did not.
RESULTS
In total, 88 patients (61.5%) were treated with corticosteroids, and 55 patients (38.4%) were not. Both groups were similar in baseline characteristics. The median age was 85 years (interquartile range: 82-89), and 61.5% (88/143) were male. In-hospital mortality was lower in the corticosteroid group (68.2%) compared with patients in the noncorticosteroid group (81.8%). Treatment with corticosteroids was an independent survival factor (hazard ratio: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.41-0.93; p = .006).
CONCLUSIONS
In critically ill older adults with COVID-19 pneumonia, the use of corticosteroid treatment resulted in lower mortality without severe adverse events.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33711156
pii: 6169229
doi: 10.1093/gerona/glab074
pmc: PMC7989632
doi:
Substances chimiques
Adrenal Cortex Hormones
0
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
e127-e132Informations de copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.