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Table 3 Sensitivity analyses to investigate adverse events associated with antenatal corticosteroid treatment

From: Association between antenatal corticosteroid treatment and severe adverse events in pregnant women

Adverse event

Events, n

Incidence rate ratio (95% CI)

Crude

Adjusteda

5–60 days

61–180 days

5–60 days

61–180 days

Pregnant women at 24 weeks 0/7 days to 33 weeks 6/7 days of gestation

 Sepsis

46

5.24 (2.56–10.7)

1.71 (0.79–3.70)

4.48 (2.16–9.28)

1.47 (0.67–3.21)

 Heart failure

89

6.11 (3.46–10.8)

2.93 (1.67–5.17)

3.98 (2.18–7.30)

3.38 (1.85–6.18)

 GI bleeding

678

1.24 (0.98–1.58)

2.18 (1.85–2.58)

1.13 (0.89–1.44)

1.68 (1.42–1.99)

Adverse events are independentb

 Sepsis

57

9.08 (4.25–19.4)

2.77 (1.23–6.21)

8.61 (4.01–18.5)

2.62 (1.16–5.92)

 Heart failure

97

11.7 (6.02–22.8)

1.33 (0.57–3.14)

11.2 (5.33–23.4)

2.31 (0.92–5.78)

 GI bleeding

683

1.74 (1.24–2.45)

2.33 (1.79–3.02)

1.60 (1.13–2.26)

1.80 (1.38–2.36)

Two or more courses of antenatal corticosteroid treatment

 Sepsis

11

12.6 (1.41–112)

8.8 (1.06–73.1)

12.8 (1.43–114)

8.90 (1.07–73.9)

 Heart failure

22

5.50 (1.61–18.8)

4.03 (1.28–12.7)

4.95 (1.44–17.1)

3.74 (1.19–11.8)

 GI bleeding

93

0.71 (0.36–1.42)

1.30 (0.85–2.00)

0.71 (0.36–1.41)

1.30 (0.84–2.01)

Exclusion of pregnancy conditionsc

 Sepsis

37

17.3 (5.96–50.2)

4.03 (1.28–12.7)

16.8 (5.58–50.5)

3.84 (1.18–12.5)

 Heart failure

75

4.47 (2.48–8.03)

2.24 (1.26–3.99)

3.95 (2.12–7.33)

3.33 (1.78–6.22)

 GI bleeding

760

1.37 (1.08–1.72)

2.60 (2.22–3.05)

1.29 (1.02–1.63)

1.91 (1.62–2.26)

  1. Abbreviation: CI confidence interval, GI gastrointestinal
  2. aSepsis was adjusted for premature rupture of membranes, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, oral corticosteroid (OCS), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin, systemic immunosuppressive agents, and acute conditions; heart failure was adjusted for premature rupture of membranes, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, OCS, NSAIDs, hormone replacement therapy, bronchodilators, antidiabetic drugs, cardiac glycosides, antihypertensive drugs, nitrates, antiplatelet drugs, and acute conditions; and GI bleeding was adjusted for premature rupture of membranes, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, OCS, NSAIDs, aspirin and proton pump inhibitors, and acute conditions
  3. bTo ensure consecutive events are independent, only the first event in each observation period was selected
  4. cExcluded pregnancy conditions were preeclampsia, premature rupture of the membranes, and peripartum cardiomyopathy
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BMC Medicine

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