Background: systemic corticosteroids have demonstrated definite
mortality benefit in management of COVID 19 in various studies.
Still certain questions regarding the appropriate dose, duration and
timing of corticosteroids remain unanswered. For this reason, the
study was planned to determine the efficacy and safety of methyl
prednisolone in management of COVID 19 from publicly available
evidence. Objectives: To compare between dexamethasone and
methylprednisolone in treating Covid-19 pneumonia patients with
respiratory failure. Study design: Meta-analysis was used to address
this concern. Sittings: Meta-analysis-based study following the
PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and
Meta Analyses) guidelines. Methods: Online databases (PubMed,
Embase, BioMed, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled
trials) were used for randomized studies ever performed in humans
in any clinical setting. Results: Ten studies were identified for
inclusion in this study, involving a total of 1812 patients. The risk of
bias was low. Meta-analysis found that methylprednisolone result in
significant decrease in hospital length of stay, ventilatory need and
mortality. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis found that
methylprednisolone has the potential to improve the prognosis of
patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, in comparison to
dexamethasone. |
