Table 1 Clinical characteristics of the study patients before and after propensity score matching
Characteristic | Unmatched | Matched | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Early steroid withdrawal, n = 111 (%) | Prolonged steroid tapering, n = 136 (%) | P value | Total, n = 136 (%) | Early steroid withdrawal, n = 68 (%) | Prolonged steroid tapering, n = 68 (%) | P value | ||
Age, years, median (IQR) | 64.0 (55.0–72.0) | 65.0 (56.5–74.0) | 0.21 | 65.0 (52.5–73.0) | 64.5 (52.5–72.5) | 65.0 (52.5–74.0) | 0.99 | |
Male sex | 72 (64.9) | 79 (58.1) | 0.34 | 87 (64.0) | 44 (64.7) | 43 (63.2) | > 0.99 | |
Predominant variant of concern at diagnosis | 0.74 | 0.94 | ||||||
Alpha | 40 (36.0) | 53 (39.0) | 52 (38.2) | 25 (36.8) | 27 (39.7) | |||
Delta | 60 (54.1) | 73 (53.7) | 72 (52.9) | 37 (54.4) | 35 (51.5) | |||
Omicron | 11 (9.9) | 10 (7.4) | 12 (8.8) | 6 (8.8) | 6 (8.8) | |||
Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 | 0.89 | 0.96 | ||||||
None or partial (0–1) | 93 (83.8) | 115 (84.6) | 113 (83.1) | 56 (82.4) | 57 (83.8) | |||
Full (2) | 14 (12.6) | 15 (11.0) | 15 (11.0) | 8 (11.8) | 7 (10.3) | |||
Boosted (≥ 3) | 4 (3.6) | 6 (4.4) | 8 (5.9) | 4 (5.9) | 4 (5.9) | |||
Days from symptom onset to admission, median (IQR) | 7.0 (4.0–9.0) | 7.0 (4.0–9.0) | 0.36 | 7.0 (4.0–9.0) | 7.0 (2.5–9.0) | 7.0 (5.0–8.5) | 0.91 | |
Days from symptom onset to steroid use, median (IQR) | 7.0 (3.0–9.0) | 6.0 (3.0–7.0) | 0.05 | 6.0 (3.0–8.0) | 6.5 (3.0–9.0) | 6.0 (3.0–7.0) | 0.41 | |
Comorbidities | ||||||||
Diabetes mellitus | 39 (35.1) | 40 (29.4) | 0.41 | 41 (30.1) | 21 (30.9) | 20 (29.4) | > 0.99 | |
Hypertension | 62 (55.9) | 65 (47.8) | 0.26 | 70 (51.5) | 35 (51.5) | 35 (51.5) | > 0.99 | |
Obesity | 49 (44.1) | 66 (48.5) | 0.58 | 66 (48.5) | 33 (48.5) | 33 (48.5) | > 0.99 | |
Cardiovascular disease | 19 (17.1) | 25 (18.4) | 0.93 | 25 (18.4) | 12 (17.6) | 13 (19.1) | > 0.99 | |
Chronic kidney disease | 12 (10.8) | 9 (6.6) | 0.34 | 12 (8.8) | 6 (8.8) | 6 (8.8) | > 0.99 | |
Chronic lung disease | 3 (2.7) | 6 (4.4) | 0.71 | 6 (4.4) | 3 (4.4) | 3 (4.4) | > 0.99 | |
Chronic liver disease | 3 (2.7) | 10 (7.4) | 0.18 | 6 (4.4) | 3 (4.4) | 3 (4.4) | > 0.99 | |
Rheumatic disease | 1 (0.9) | 4 (2.9) | 0.50 | 1 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.5) | > 0.99 | |
Solid malignancy | 5 (4.5) | 9 (6.6) | 0.66 | 8 (5.9) | 4 (5.9) | 4 (5.9) | > 0.99 | |
Hematologic malignancy | 2 (1.8) | 7 (5.1) | 0.29 | 4 (2.9) | 2 (2.9) | 2 (2.9) | > 0.99 | |
Severity of illness | < 0.001 | > 0.99 | ||||||
WHO-CPS 6 (HFNC or NIV) | 88 (79.3) | 48 (35.3) | 89 (65.4) | 45 (66.2) | 44 (64.7) | |||
WHO-CPS 7–9 (MV) | 23 (20.7) | 88 (64.7) | 47 (34.6) | 23 (33.8) | 24 (35.3) | |||
Pronation | 5 (4.5) | 54 (39.7) | < 0.001 | 11 (8.1) | 5 (7.4) | 6 (8.8) | > 0.99 | |
SOFA score, median (IQR) | 3.0 (2.0–5.0) | 5.0 (3.0–7.0) | < 0.001 | 3.0 (2.0–6.0) | 3.0 (2.0–6.0) | 3.0 (2.0–6.0) | 0.91 | |
Laboratory data, mean (\(\:\pm\:\)SD) | ||||||||
Leukocyte, \(\:\times\:\)103/uL | 8.2 (± 3.7) | 8.3 (± 4.4) | 0.87 | 8.3 (± 4.1) | 8.5 (± 3.7) | 8.0 (± 4.4) | 0.49 | |
Hemoglobin, g/dL | 14.1 (± 2.5) | 13.1 (± 1.9) | 0.42 | 13.0 (± 2.0) | 12.7 (± 2.0) | 13.2 (± 2.0) | 0.18 | |
Platelet, \(\:\times\:\)103/uL | 224.3 (± 86.5) | 205.9 (± 86.4) | 0.10 | 218.3 (± 94.3) | 223.2 (± 91.5) | 213.3 (± 97.1) | 0.54 | |
Lymphocyte, count/uL | 786.6 (± 370.8) | 725.1 (± 418.0) | 0.15 | 774.2 (± 371.4) | 787.4 (± 351.3) | 760.9 (± 391.5) | 0.69 | |
C-reactive protein, mg/dL | 10.0 (± 7.9) | 11.4 (± 9.9) | 0.22 | 10.0 (± 7.5) | 10.5 (± 7.6) | 9.5 (± 7.4) | 0.46 | |
D-dimer, ug/mL, median (IQR) | 1.1 (0.5–2.8) | 1.4 (0.6–5.8) | 0.22 | 1.0 (0.5–3.7) | 1.1 (0.6–3.2) | 1.0 (0.6–4.5) | 0.97 | |
Lactate dehydrogenase, IU/L | 466.4 (± 156.8) | 563.0 (± 235.6) | < 0.001 | 514.3 (± 208.4) | 485.4 (± 168.8) | 543.2 (± 248.0) | 0.12 | |
Received therapies | ||||||||
Remdesivir | 100 (90.1) | 123 (90.4) | > 0.99 | 124 (91.2) | 62 (91.2) | 62 (91.2) | > 0.99 | |
Baricitinib | 18 (16.2) | 14 (10.3) | 0.24 | 21 (15.4) | 11 (16.2) | 10 (14.7) | > 0.99 | |
Tocilizumab | 55 (49.5) | 72 (52.9) | 0.69 | 71 (52.2) | 36 (52.9) | 35 (51.5) | > 0.99 | |
Use of steroids | ||||||||
Duration of dexamethasone, days, median (IQR) | 9.0 (7.0–10.0) | 10.0 (8.0–10.0) | 0.07 | 10.0 (7.0–10.0) | 10.0 (7.5–10.0) | 10.0 (7.0–10.0) | 0.52 | |
Duration of tapering, days, median (IQR) | - | 14.0 (8.0–27.5) | - | - | - | 13.0 (7.0–21.0) | - | |
Daily average dose of tapering steroidsa, mg, median (IQR) | - | 22.3 (16.8–30.7) | - | - | - | 19.5 (14.6–25.0) | - | |