- underlying disease requiring chronic corticosteroids - severe adverse events before admission, i.e. cardiac arrest; - contraindication for corticosteroids; - death is deemed to be imminent and inevitable during the next 24 hours - recruited in other clinical intervention trial - pregnancy - patient on judicial protection

- underlying disease requiring chronic corticosteroids - severe adverse events before admission, i.e. cardiac arrest; - contraindication for corticosteroids; - death is deemed to be imminent and inevitable during the next 24 hours - recruited in other clinical intervention trial - pregnancy - patient on judicial protection