Steroids in sepsis--more effective than activated protein C?

Early studies using high doses of steroids in septic shock resulted in increased mortality. More recently, work by Annane et al. using lower doses closer to those that might constitute a stress dose of hydrocortisone have shown encouraging results with a 30% decrease in mortality in septic shock. Although this result is more impressive than the reduction in mortality resulting from the use of activated protein C in septic shock, the numbers of patients involved in the steroid study are low and the results remain unpublished in a peer-reviewed journal.