Clinical outcomes of corticosteroid administration for acute respiratory distress syndrome in adults based on meta-analyses and trial sequential analysis.

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which results in lung injury as a consequence of sepsis and septic shock, is associated with severe systemic inflammation and is responsible for a high worldwide mortality rate.

Objective: Investigate whether corticosteroids could benefit clinical outcomes in adult with ARDS.

Methods: A comprehensive search of electronic databases Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMbase, and Cochrane Library from their inception to 7 May 2023 was conducted to identify studies that met the eligibility criteria, including only randomized controlled trials. The study was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the methods of trial sequential analysis.

Main outcome measures: Mortality rates, including including the 14-, 28-, 45-, and 60-day mortality, hospital mortality, and intensive care unit (ICU) mortality.

Sample size: 17 studies with 2508 patients.

Results: Data relating to mortality at 14, 28, 45, and 60 days were not significantly different when treatments with corticosteroids and placebo were compared. In terms of hospital and ICU mortality, the mortality of those who had received corticosteroids was significantly lower than that of those who had not. ARDS patients who received assisted ventilation benefited from corticosteroid therapy, as revealed by the significant difference in outcome days between those who received assisted ventilation and those who did not. Corticosteroid had significantly more days free from mechanical ventilation, ICU-free days, and MODS-free days during the first 28 days, but not more organ support-free days up to day 28.

Conclusion: Although corticosteroid therapy did not reduce mortality rates at different observation periods, it significantly reduced hospital and ICU mortality. Administering corticosteroids to ARDS patients significantly decreased the days of assisted ventilation and time cost consumption. This study confirmed that long-term use of low-dose glucocorticoids may have a positive effect on early ARDS.

Limitation: Risk of bias due to the differences in patient characteristics.