https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6805-4019
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ABSTRACT
Introduction: The use of steroids has been proposed as a pharmacological approach to treat the SARS-CoV-2 infection to improve outcomes. However, there are doubts about safety against the development of superinfections and their worse outcomes.
Objective: To establish the relative frequency of superinfection associated with using steroids in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Materials and methods: We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis using PRISMA standards in 5 databases (PubMed/Scopus/Cochrane/EMBASE/Google Scholar). The search was carried out between February 2020 and May 2023. The search terms were ‘steroids’ or ‘superinfection’ ‘and’ followed by ‘SARS-CoV-2’ or ‘COVID-19’.
Results: We found 77 studies, but only 10 with 3539 patients were included in the systematic review. All patients developed severe disease. The documented OR for superinfection through the meta-analysis was 1.437 (95% IC 0.869–2.378) with a p-value of 0.158 without showing a risk attributed to steroids and the development of superinfections. In the Funnel-plot analysis, no publication biases were found.
Conclusion: No relationship was found between using steroids and superinfection in patients with SARS-CoV-2.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Author contributions
MGR: Study concept and design, drafting of the manuscript, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, original material and construction of images and tables, administrative, technical, and material support, and study supervision.
JAHM: Study concept and design, drafting of the manuscript, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, original material and construction of images and tables, administrative, technical, and material support, and study supervision.
GAMG: Study concept and design, drafting of the manuscript, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, original material and construction of images and tables, administrative, technical, and material support, and study supervision.
MAF: Revision of the manuscript, English translation. Administrative, technical, and material support.
JFGG: Critical manuscript revision for important intellectual content, study supervision. Interpretation of data, and drafting of the manuscript. Administrative, technical, and material support.
All authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Supplementary material
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/20008686.2023.2277000