Severe varicella-zoster virus pneumonia: a multicenter cohort study

Table 5 Characteristics of patients who received steroids (n = 10) compared to matched controlled patients (n = 60) who did not received steroids^a

	No steroid use (n = 60)	Steroids use (n = 10)	p
Demographics
Age, years	43 (34–56)	48 (35.5–60.75)	0.60
Male gender	38 (63%)	5 (50%)	0.49
Co-morbidities	55 (92%)	9 (90%)	1.00
Underlying immunosuppression	33 (55%)	7 (70%)	0.50
Year of ICU admission	2009 (2006–2012)	2010 (2008–2012)	0.48
Time (days) from dyspnea onset to ICU admission	2 (1–3)	2 (1–3.25)	0.79
Parameters at ICU admission
Temperature, °C	39.1 (38.25–39.7)	39.4 (38.85–40.8)	0.22
Respiratory rate, breaths/min	30 (26.5–38.5)	35 (32–35)	0.34
Oxygen flow, L/min	10 (5–15)	8.5 (1.5–15)	0.55
Hemoptysis	6 (10%)	0 (0%)	0.58
PaO₂:FiO₂ ratio, mmHg	105 (75.5–174.5)	86 (80.5–210)	1.00
SOFA score at day 1	5 (4–9)	7 (5–7.75)	0.55
ICU management
Invasive mechanical ventilation	36 (60%)	9 (90%)	0.08
Time (days) from ICU admission to intubation	1 (1–2)	1 (1–1)	0.30
ARDS criteria according to the Berlin definition	31 (52%)	7 (70%)	0.33
Length of invasive mechanical ventilation, days	13.5 (7–17.25)	28 (13–53)	0.06
Bacterial superinfection	26 (43%)	8 (80%)	0.04
Outcome data
ICU length of stay, days	10 (4–17)	32 (10.75–69.5)	0.01
Hospital length of stay, days	16.5 (10–32.25)	40.5 (21.25–74)	0.02
ICU mortality	12 (20%)	2 (20%)	1.00
Hospital mortality	15 (25%)	6 (60%)	0.06

Values are shown as n (%) or median (25^th–75^th percentiles)
^aPatients who received steroids were matched in a 1:6 ratio to a control group of patients who did not receive steroids. Matched controls were screened from the current cohort with the following four matching criteria: age, year of ICU admission, SOFA score at day 1, and ARDS criteria according to the Berlin definition
ARDS acute respiratory distress syndrome, ICU intensive care unit, PaO ₂ :FiO ₂ ratio of arterial oxygen partial pressure to fractional inspired oxygen, SOFA Sequential Organ Failure Assessment

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