Outcomes of Steroid and Pulse Steroid Therapies in COVID-19 Inpatients Requiring Oxygen Therapy, Retrospective Case Control Study

Year 2025, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 47 - 53, 29.04.2025

Zeynep Irmak Kaya , Serdar Efe

https://doi.org/10.56016/dahudermj.1582147

Abstract

Background: A limited number of studies have been conducted examining the course of the disease and the effectiveness of corticosteroid treatments in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia requiring oxygen support. This study assessed steroid effectiveness in oxygen-dependent COVID-19 patients.
Methods: Included in the study were 670 patients who required oxygen support during their hospital stay among the 6,532 Covid-19 patients between 1 August 2020 and 1 June 2021. Demographic data, comorbidities, duration of oxygen therapy, length of hospital stay, corticosteroid treatments (dexamethasone, methylprednisolone) and pulse corticosteroid treatments (methylprednisolone ≥ 250 mg) were recorded. We analyzed data using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Program (Version 16.0. Chicago, SPSS) and applied Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Chi-square tests for statistical significance (p<0.05).
Results: The mean age of the patients was 64±13 (19–95) years, 55% were male, and the mean duration of hospital stay was 9±6 (1–64) days. Dexamethasone, pulse steroids, and low-dose methylprednisolone (<80 mg) were given to 41%, 13%, and 18% of patients, respectively. 31.6% required ICU admission, and the overall hospital mortality rate was 18.1%. Notably, 83% of deaths occurred within the first week.
Conclusion: Most deaths in oxygen-dependent COVID-19 patients happened within 7 days. While corticosteroids didn’t impact overall mortality, dexamethasone seemed to boost discharge without ICU admission.

Keywords

COVID-19 , dexamethasone , mortality , oxygen therapy , pulse corticosteroid therapy

Ethical Statement

The study was approved by both the Turkish Ministry of Health and the Ethics Committee of Trakya University Faculty of Medicine (Decision Date: 27/12/2021 and No: 25/49), and all necessary administrative permissions were obtained from the Turkish Ministry of Health, the Eskişehir Provincial Health Directorate and the Office of the Chief Physician of Eskişehir City Hospital. This study carried out following the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and all applicable regulations.

Outcomes of Steroid and Pulse Steroid Therapies in COVID-19 Inpatients Requiring Oxygen Therapy, Retrospective Case Control Study

Abstract

Background: A limited number of studies have been conducted examining the course of the disease and the effectiveness of corticosteroid treatments in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia requiring oxygen support. This study assessed steroid effectiveness in oxygen-dependent COVID-19 patients.
Methods: Included in the study were 670 patients who required oxygen support during their hospital stay among the 6,532 Covid-19 patients between 1 August 2020 and 1 June 2021. Demographic data, comorbidities, duration of oxygen therapy, length of hospital stay, corticosteroid treatments (dexamethasone, methylprednisolone) and pulse corticosteroid treatments (methylprednisolone ≥ 250 mg) were recorded. We analyzed data using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Program (Version 16.0. Chicago, SPSS) and applied Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Chi-square tests for statistical significance (p<0.05).
Results: The mean age of the patients was 64±13 (19–95) years, 55% were male, and the mean duration of hospital stay was 9±6 (1–64) days. Dexamethasone, pulse steroids, and low-dose methylprednisolone (<80 mg) were given to 41%, 13%, and 18% of patients, respectively. 31.6% required ICU admission, and the overall hospital mortality rate was 18.1%. Notably, 83% of deaths occurred within the first week.
Conclusion: Most deaths in oxygen-dependent COVID-19 patients happened within 7 days. While corticosteroids didn’t impact overall mortality, dexamethasone seemed to boost discharge without ICU admission.

Keywords

COVID-19 , dexamethasone , mortality , oxygen therapy , pulse corticosteroid therapy

Ethical Statement

The study was approved by both the Turkish Ministry of Health and the Ethics Committee of Trakya University Faculty of Medicine (Decision Date: 27/12/2021 and No: 25/49), and all necessary administrative permissions were obtained from the Turkish Ministry of Health, the Eskişehir Provincial Health Directorate and the Office of the Chief Physician of Eskişehir City Hospital. This study carried out following the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and all applicable regulations.

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