Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34678244›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of pharmacology2022

Use of steroids in COVID-19 patients: A meta-analysis.

Manisha Thakur, Ashok Kumar Datusalia, Anoop Kumar

Open access · greenAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of pharmacology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
43citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
4.1field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

43 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 72 citations in OpenAlex.

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  2. Phage Therapy in Bacterial Pneumonia Models: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Manisha ThakurDepartment of Regulatory Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Raebareli, 226002, India.
Ashok Kumar DatusaliaDepartment of Regulatory Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Raebareli, 226002, India; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Raebareli, 226002, India.
Anoop KumarDepartment of Pharmacology, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), New Delhi, 110017, India. Electronic address: abitmesra@gmail.com.
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research · INDelhi Pharmaceutical Science and Research University · IN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEmerging reports have shown the benefits of steroids in hospitalized COVID-19 patients as life-saving drugs. However, the use of steroids in COVID-19 patients is confusing among many physicians.

aimThe aim of the current study was to find out the exact association of steroids in the deaths of COVID-19 patients.

methodsThe relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Google scholar, and Clinical trials registries till May 25, 2021 and sorted out based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of studies was assessed using a standard scale. The pooled odds ratio was calculated with a 95% confidence interval. The sensitivity and sub-group analyses were also done. The publication bias was assessed qualitatively. The Rev Man 5 was used for all analyses with a random-effect model.

resultsThe quantitative analysis was done with 9922 patients (6265-male and 3657-females) from 21 relevant studies. The pooled estimate results i.e. 0.52 [0.34, 0.80] have shown a significant reduction in deaths of COVID-19 patients in the steroidal group as compared to the non-steroidal group. The sensitivity analyses did not alter our conclusions. In subgroup analysis, methylprednisolone has shown a significant reduction in deaths of COVID-19 patients as compared to the non-steroidal group, however, more clinical evidence is required for dexamethasone and hydrocortisone.

conclusionThe use of steroids in hospitalized COVID-19 patients is useful to reduce deaths.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 Drug TreatmentHumansMethylprednisoloneMortalitySARS-CoV-2SteroidsMethylprednisoloneSteroidsCOVID-19DexamethasoneHydrocortisoneMeta-analysisMethylprednisoloneSteroids

Identifiers

PMID34678244
PMCPMC8525014
OpenAlexW3206064057

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.