Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial
RCT (n=379) stopped early after release of results from another trial is suggestive of benefit for hydrocortisone in this population, but due to early termination & no treatment strategy meeting prespecified statistical superiority criteria, no definitive conclusions can be drawn
Source:
Journal of the American Medical Association
SPS commentary:
Trial reported that treatment with a 7-day fixed-dose course of hydrocortisone (HC) or shock-dependent dosing of HC, vs. no HC, resulted in 93% and 80% probabilities of superiority, respectively, with regard to odds of improvement in organ support–free days within 21 days. Median adjusted odds ratio and bayesian probability of superiority were 1.43 (95% CI, 0.91-2.27) and 93% for fixed-dose HC, respectively, and 1.22 (0.76-1.94) and 80% for shock-dependent HC vs. no HC.
This trial was published in JAMA along with 2 other randomised trials of corticosteroids and a meta-analysis:
According to an editorial, these data represent an important step forward in the treatment of patients with COVID-19. It notes that while the RECOVERY results were embraced because they provided hope in the treatment of this catastrophic disease, numerous study limitations prevented complete confidence in using corticosteroids in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. It adds that these trials and the meta-analysis have strengthened confidence, further defined the benefit, and shifted usual care of COVID-19–related acute respiratory distress syndrome. (ARDS) to include corticosteroids.
It warns however that many clinically important questions remain.
While much work remains on the exact details of implementation into clinical practice, it concludes for now that the consistent findings of benefit in these studies provide definitive data that corticosteroids should be first-line treatment for critically ill patients with COVID-19.
Following publication of the REMAP-CAP trial and this meta-analysis, the World Health Organization has issued new interim guidance recommending the use of systemic corticosteroids in severe and critical COVID-19 disease as follows: