Table 4 Subgroup analysis of the risk of death in the hydrocortisone and placebo groups at days 28 and 60

 Age ≤65 years, n/total (%)

12/50 (24.0)

16/50 (32.0)

0.75 (0.40–1.42)

0.50

18/50 (36.0)

19/50 (38.0)

0.95 (0.57–1.58)

1.00

 Age >65 years, n/total (%)

10/48 (20.8)

11/49 (22.5)

0.93 (0.43–1.98)

1.00

16/48 (33.3)

21/49 (42.9)

0.78 (0.47–1.3)

0.40

 APACHE II score <25, n/total (%)

8/61 (13.1)

14/65 (21.5)

0.61 (0.27–1.35)

0.25

16/61 (26.2)

22/65 (33.8)

0.61 (0.27–1.35)

0.44

 APACHE II score ≥ 25, n/total (%)

14/37 (37.8)

13/34 (38.2)

0.99 (0.55–1.79)

1.00

18/37 (48.7)

18/34 (52.9)

0.92 (0.58–1.45)

0.81

 Lung injury score < 2.5, n/total (%)

11/54 (20.4)

13/58 (22.4)

0.91 (0.45–1.85)

0.82

16/54 (29.6)

17/58 (29.3)

1.01 (0.60–1.79)

1.00

 Lung injury score ≥ 2.5, n/total (%)

11/44 (25)

13/40 (32.5)

0.77 (0.39–0.52)

0.48

18/44 (40.9)

22/40 (55.0)

0.74 (0.47–1.17)

0.27

 Severe sepsis without shock, n/total (%)

3/20 (15.0)

3/23 (13.0)

1.15 (0.26–5.07)

1.00

4/20 (20.0)

5/23 (21.7)

0.92 (0.29–2.97)

1.00

 Vasopressor dependent shock, n/total (%)

19/78 (24.4)

24/76 (31.6)

0.77 (0.46–1.29)

0.37

30/78 (38.5)

35/76 (46.1)

0.84 (0.58–1.21)

0.41

 Mild ARDS, n/total (%)

5/30 (16.7)

7/32 (21.9)

0.76 (0.27–2.14)

0.75

9/30 (30.0)

10/32 (31.3)

0.96 (0.45–2.03)

1.00

 Moderate to severe ARDS, n/total (%)

17/68 (25.0)

20/67 (29.9)

0.84 (0.48–1.45)

0.57

25/68 (36.8)

30/67 (44.8)

0.82 (0.55–1.24)

0.38

 Pneumonia, n/total (%)

11/49 (22.5)

13/51 (25.5)

0.88 (0.44–1.77)

0.82

18/49 (36.7)

19/51 (37.3)

0.99 (0.59–1.64)

1.00

 Others, n/total (%)

1/10 (10.0)

6/18 (33.3)

0.30 (0.04–2.15)

0.36

1/10 (10.0)

7/18 (38.9)

0.26 (0.04–1.80)

0.19

  ≤ 2 comorbidities, n/total (%)

18/67 (26.9)

22/77 (28.6)

0.94 (0.55–1.60)

0.85

25/67 (37.3)

30/77 (39.0)

0.96 (0.63–1.45)

0.87

  ≥ 3 comorbidities, n/total (%)

4/31 (12.9)

5/22 (22.7)

0.57 (0.17–1.88)

0.46

9/31 (29.0)

10/2 (45.5)

0.64 (0.31–1.31)

0.26