Corticosteroids v placebo for acute bacterial meningitis at up to 12 months*
| Outcomes | Patients | Number of studies | Weighted event rates | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corticosteroids | Placebo | RRR (95% CI) | NNT (CI) | |||
| *Abbreviations defined in glossary; weighted events, RRR, NNT, and CI calculated from data in article using a fixed effects model. | ||||||
| Mortality | All | 18 | 8.6% | 11.6% | 24% (3 to 41) | 34 (20 to ∞) |
| Adults | 3 | 8% | 21% | 62% (22 to 82) | 8 (5 to 25) | |
| Severe hearing loss | All | 13 | 2.4% | 7.4% | 63% (38 to 78) | 20 (15 to 50) |
| Children | 12 | 2.8% | 9.8% | 69% (46 to 82) | 15 (10 to 25) | |
| Long term neurological sequelae | All | 10 | 6% | 9% | 55% (0 to 55) | 34 (17 to ∞) |