Table 1

Prospective randomised trials of steroids administration in neurologically dead donors: summary of the studies

Author, year	Donors/recipients (n)	Organs recovered	Experimental intervention	Control intervention
Parallel design
Chatterjee et al 25	50/84	Kidney	MTP 5 g intravenous single dose after brain death confirmation	Usual care
Dienst32	NR/106	Kidney	MTP 3 g intravenous + Cy 3 g intravenous single doses 5–8 hours before organ recovery	Usual care
	NR/45		MTP 5 g intravenous + Cy 3 g intravenous single doses 5–8 hours before organ recovery	Usual care
	NR/29		MTP 5 g intravenous + Cy 5 g intravenous single doses 5–8 hours. before organ recovery	Placebo
Jeffery et al 33	NR/52	Kidney	MTP 5 g intravenous +Cy 7 g intravenous single doses ≥4 hours before organ recovery	Usual care
Soulillou et al 34	NR/62	Kidney	MTP 5 g intravenous + Cy 5 g intravenous single doses ≥5 hours before organ recovery	Placebo
Corry et al 31	NR/52	Kidney	MTP 60 mg/kg intravenous +Cy 80 mg/kg intravenous single doses ≥5 hours before organ recovery	Usual care
Mariot et al 27	40/NR	Multi-organs	Hydrocortisone 100 mg intravenous +T₃ 2 μg intravenous after brain death confirmation q.30–60 min until stable CVP and SBP	Placebo
Kotsch et al 29	100/100	Liver	MTP 250 mg intravenous+100 mg/hour intravenous after brain death confirmation	Usual care
Kainz et al 26	269/455	Kidney	MTP 1 g single dose ≥3 hours before organ recovery	Placebo
Amatschek et al 30	8390/83	Liver	MTP 1 g single dose ≥3 hours before organ recovery	Placebo
Factorial design
Venkateswaran et al 35	60/NR	Lung	MTP 1 g intravenous single dose± T₃0.8 μg/kg+0.113 μg/kg/hour intravenous after brain death confirmation	Placebo
Venkateswaran et al 28	80/NR	Heart	MTP 1 g intravenous single dose ± T₃0.8 μg/kg+0.113 μg/kg/hour intravenous after brain death confirmation	Placebo

CVP, central venous pressure,;Cy, cyclophosphamide; MTP, methylprednisolone; NR, not reported; SBP, systolic blood pressure; T₃, liothyronin.