Early use of corticosteroids in non-critical patients with COVID-19 pneumonia (PREDCOVID): a structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Salinas Mauricio , Andino Paulette , Palma Leonor , Valencia Javiera , Figueroa Elizabeth , Ortega Jhonatan 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Objectives
To evaluate the efficacy of early treatment with prednisone to decrease the progression of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Trial design
This is a pragmatic, non-blinded, randomized, two arms, parallel trial.

Participants
Patients between 18 and 90 years, with COVID-19 pneumonia, confirmed by RT PCR. The setting for the trial is the Hospital Santiago Oriente which is a secondary level hospital with an emergency room, intensive care, and all basic specialties of medicine.
Inclusion Criteria:

18 years or more

COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR

Oxygen requirements up to 35% by venturi mask or 5 liters per minute by nasal cannula (approximately FiO2 40%)

Consent form signed

Exclusion Criteria:

Previous steroid use for more than 48 hours.

Pregnancy

Chronic respiratory failure

Requirements of mechanical ventilation (invasive or no invasive)

Chronic liver damage Child Pugh B or C

Chronic kidney disease stage IV or V.

Immunosuppressed

Participation in another trial.

Intervention and comparator
Experimental arm
Prednisone 40 mg days 1 to 4. Then Prednisone 20 mg days 5 to 8. Usual care defined by the attending physician.
Control arm
No intervention. Usual care defined by the attending physician.

Main outcomes
Primary outcome
Composite Primary End-point: Admission to ICU, Need for Invasive Mechanical Ventilation or All-cause Death by Day 28
Secondary outcomes (followed until day 28).

Time to respiratory deterioration

Incidence of patients requiring mechanical ventilation:

Number of days on mechanical ventilation

Special emphasis will be placed on observing the following serious adverse events

Deterioration of the glycemic profile that requires the use of insulin

Delirium

Incidence of hospital infections (pneumonia, urinary tract infection, device associated infections)

Cumulative incidence of grade 3 and 4 adverse events (AE).

Interruption or temporary suspension of treatment for any reason

Randomisation
Randomisation in permuted block. Computer generated random numbers in an allocation rate of 1:1. Stata 14.0 was used.
Allocated by the principal investigator (direct communication).

Blinding (masking)
Patients not blinded.
Caregivers not blinded.
Participants not blinded.
Statistician will not know the allocation.

Numbers to be randomised (sample size)
92 patients in each arm.
184 total number of patients.

Trial Status
Protocol version 2.0., approved October 2, 2020.
Trial ongoing.
Recruitment start: June 23, 2020.
Anticipate finish recruiting: November 30, 2020.
The protocol has been submitted before the last patient and last visit. The delay in sending to publication is responsibility of the authors.

Trial registration
Early Use of Corticosteroids in Non-critical Patients With COVID-19 Pneumonia (PREDCOVID). Registration number NCT04451174. Date of trial registration: June 26, 2020.

Full protocol
The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol.