Objective: SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV are coronaviruses affecting the lower respiratory tract, often leading to severe respiratory failure. Following the emergence of a novel coronavirus, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. While various treatments have been implemented, the optimal dose for high-dose (pulse) steroid therapy remains undefined. This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of different pulse steroid doses in COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen support.Methods: This study involved 61 hospitalized patients (aged 25–65) with respiratory distress. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 received 250 mg of methylprednisolone (n=31), and Group 2 received 500 mg (n=30). Data on comorbidities, CT features, laboratory parameters, oxygen saturation levels, and clinical outcomes (discharge or mortality) were analyzed.Results: Comparative analysis showed no statistically significant difference in clinical outcomes or discharge status between the 250 mg and 500 mg treatment groups (p 0.05). Mortality was most strongly associated with the presence of comorbidities (OR=7.58, p=0.033), elevated baseline CRP levels (OR=6.76, p=0.009), and the duration between PCR positivity and the initiation of steroid therapy (OR=5.72, p=0.012).Conclusion: Our findings suggest that 250 mg and 500 mg doses of pulse steroid therapy provide similar clinical outcomes in COVID-19 management. The timing of treatment initiation and the patient’s baseline inflammatory state are more critical determinants of survival than the steroid dose itself.
Tiril et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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