Do patients treated in hospital for community-acquired pneumonia benefit from the addition of corticosteroid therapy?
BEEM Bottom Line
Why is this study important?
Pneumonia remains one of the most common causes of death among all age groups. Clinical benefit has been demonstrated with corticosteroids in different infectious illnesses via multiple potential mechanisms of action, but there are also potential adverse effects to consider in clinical decision-making.[1] [2] This updated systematic review and meta-analysis includes 12 new randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have been published since the last review.
Which, if any, threats to validity are most likely to have an impact on the results and how?
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