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The use of methylprednisolone in COVID-19 patients: A propensity score matched retrospective cohort study

Xiang You1, Chao-Hui Wu1, Ya-Nan Fu2

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.

Plos One
|December 31, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Methylprednisolone did not improve outcomes for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The study found no significant differences in hospital mortality or recovery time, suggesting cautious use of corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health crisis.
  • Corticosteroids, such as methylprednisolone, have been explored for their anti-inflammatory effects in severe respiratory illnesses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of methylprednisolone in treating COVID-19 patients.
  • To determine if methylprednisolone impacts hospital mortality, viral clearance, or length of stay.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study of 367 COVID-19 patients admitted to Yichang Third People's Hospital.
  • Propensity score matching (PSM) used to minimize confounding factors between groups.
  • Primary outcome: hospital mortality; Secondary outcomes: viral clearance time and hospital stay duration.

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant difference in baseline characteristics after PSM.
  • No significant difference in hospital mortality or length of stay between methylprednisolone users and non-users.
  • Patients not receiving methylprednisolone achieved negative SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid tests faster.

Conclusions:

  • Methylprednisolone did not demonstrate improved prognosis in COVID-19 patients.
  • The efficacy and safety of methylprednisolone for COVID-19 remain uncertain.
  • Clinical use of corticosteroids in COVID-19 patients warrants caution.
Abstract

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