[Meta-analysis and trials sequential analysis for the efficacy and safety of low- and medium-dose glucocorticoids in adult acute respiratory distress syndrome patients].

To explore the efficacy and safety of low- and medium-dose of glucocorticoids in adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) through Meta-analysis and trials sequential analysis (TSA).Databases associated with adult ARDS treatment with low- and medium-dose glucocorticoids both in English and in Chinese were searched from PubMed, Medline, China Biology Medicine (CBM), Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang Data and VIP, of which the search duration was from the establishment of the database to December 2020. Low-dose glucocorticoids were defined as methylprednisolone ≤ 1 mg×kg-1×d-1, and medium dose glucocorticoids were defined as methylprednisolone ≤ 2 mg×kg-1×d-1. According to the Cochrane Collaboration bias risk assessment tool, the quality of the included literature was evaluated, and the data were extracted. Meta-analysis and TSA were used to evaluate the effects of low- and medium-dose glucocorticoids on the hospital mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) mortality, and mechanical ventilation free time in ICU for 28 days, PaO2/FiO2, and the occurrence of nosocomial infections and hyperglycemia.A total of 996 patients in 7 literatures were finally included, including 515 patients in the low- and medium-dose glucocorticoid group (hormone group) and 481 patients in the conventional treatment group (control group). The research quality of 7 literatures was relatively high. The results of Meta-analysis and TSA showed that, compared with the control group, the hospital mortality in the hormone group was significantly decreased [relative risk (RR) = 0.77, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.66-0.89, P = 0.000 6], and mechanical ventilation free time in ICU for 28 days was significantly prolonged [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.50, 95%CI was 0.36-0.65, P < 0.000 1]. Although Meta-analysis showed that the ICU mortality of the hormone group was significantly lower than that of the control group (RR = 0.61, 95%CI was 0.38-0.99, P = 0.04), the TSA results showed that the cumulative Z value crossed the traditional threshold, but did not cross the TSA cut-off value, and the sample size did not reach required information size (RIS, n = 3 252), needed more research to confirm. Although Meta-analysis showed that PaO2/FiO2 in the hormone group was significantly higher than that in the control group (SMD = 0.78, 95%CI was 0.13-1.43, P = 0.02), TSA showed that the cumulative Z value did not pass the traditional and TSA cut-off values. More research was needed for verification. Meta-analysis also showed that there was no significant difference in the incidence of new infection (RR = 0.93, 95%CI was 0.74-1.17, P = 0.54) and the incidence of hyperglycemia (RR = 1.11, 95%CI was 1.00-1.23, P = 0.05) between the hormone group and the control group.Low- and medium-dose of glucocorticoids therapy can reduce the hospital mortality of adult ARDS patients and shorten the mechanical ventilation duration in ICU for 28 days, and low- and medium-dose of glucocorticoids therapy does not increase the risk of infection and hyperglycemia.