- Hydrocortisone was associated with an approximately 65% relative reduction in mortality among patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia compared with placebo.
- Hydrocortisone also was associated with lower need for mechanical ventilation, whereas other corticosteroids did not show statistically significant mortality benefits.
- All included trials compared corticosteroids with placebo, creating a “star-shaped” network without direct head-to-head corticosteroid comparisons.
- Low-to-moderate corticosteroid doses and short-course treatment were associated with lower mortality and reduced mechanical ventilation requirements.
- Evidence certainty was rated very low to low, and the researchers said the findings are not yet strong enough to support immediate guideline changes.
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