Updating the evidence for the role of corticosteroids in severe sepsis and septic shock: a Bayesian meta-analytic perspective

Table 3 Trial characteristics

Author	Quality score	Total N	Vasopressors atenrollment	Etomidate used	Steroid type	Steroid-days before tapering	Tapering days	Hydrocortisone equivalent (mg)	Age Steroid	Age Placebo	%males Steroid	%males Placebo
Cooperative Study Group [32]	7	194	NA	NA	Hydrocortisone	1	2-6	1050	NA	NA	70.8	64.3
Klastersky and colleagues [41]	7.5	85	NA	NA	Betamethasone	3	None	7000	NA	NA	60.1	46.2
Schumer [31]	6	172	NA	NA	Methyl-prednisolone	Bolus-day1	None	8050	49	51	NA	NA
					Dexamethasone	Repeat unspecified	None
Sprung and colleagues [43]	8.5	59	Yes (93%)	NA	Methyl-prednisolone	Bolus-day1	None	18884	56.5	48	83.7	62.5
					Dexamethasone	Repeat in 74%
Bone and colleagues [38]	10	382	NA	NA	Methyl-prednisolone	4 doses in 24 hours	None	42000	53	53.7	NA	NA
Luce and colleagues [46]	11	75	Yes (44%)	NA	Methyl-prednisolone	4 doses in 24 hours	None	42000	50	53	68.4	83.8
Bollaert and colleagues [37]	13.5	41	Yes	NA	Hydrocortisone	5	6	2175	58.7	56.8	68.2	63.2
Briegel and colleagues [39]	13.5	40	Yes	NA	Hydrocortisone	3	3-14	2126	47	51	45	60
Chawla and colleagues [47]	NA	44	Yes	NA	Hydrocortisone	3	4	1350	NA	NA	NA	NA
Yildiz and colleagues [45]	9	40	NA	NA	Prednisolone	10	None	300	57.8	56.5	65	55
Annane and colleagues [36]	14.5	291	Yes	Yes	Hydrocortisone	7	None	1400	62	60	64	69.8
Tandan and colleagues [44]	NA	28	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
Oppert and colleagues [42]	12.5	41	Yes	Yes	Hydrocortisone	2-3	2-5	856	59	47	72.2	82.6
Sprung and colleagues [8]	14.5	499	Yes (98.5%)	Yes	Hydrocortisone	5	6	1800	63	63	66.1	67.8

ISSN: 1364-8535