Ability of corticosteroids to prevent pneumonia

The French have conducted certain studies connected with pneumonia and steroids. According to the results of their studies, those who have brain injuries may avoid complications connected with pneumonia, if they are treated with the steroid hydrocortisone. These latest studies have shown several positive effects of steroids for medical purposes.
Pneumonia which is caused by traumatic brain injury is a severe illness. Unluckily, it occurs often. The Journal of the American Medical Association has noted that the percentage of pneumonia which appears due to traumas is 40-60 %. It is more spread among persons who have brain injuries.
Early post-traumatic pneumonia requires serious medical care and hospitalization. The risk of death is increased. Undoubtedly, prevention of this condition is clinical as well as economic issue.
Dr. Antoine Roquilly of the University of Nantes in France has stated that experimental and clinical data have shown that usage of corticosteroids may reduce the appearing and severity of pneumonia.
A study linked with this problem was conducted 3 years from 2006 to 2009. 150 persons who experienced different types of dangerous brain injuries were treated with the corticosteroid hydrocortisone. Other patients with this disease were treated only with sugar pills. More than half of individuals that were given sugar pills began to suffer from pneumonia over the month. As for those who were cured with hydrocortisone, the results were more encouraging. Less than 36 % of them got pneumonia during the same period of time. Thus, they didn’t need to be ventilated mechanically. Moreover, they avoided respiratory problems that troubled the individuals who were cured with sugar pills.
Dr. Lisandro Irizarry of the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City has noted that the study is interesting but it requires further researches in order to be considered a part of standardized treatment.
Actually, any person that has suffered from a brain injury may confront the problem, when he/she doesn’t have ability to engage in normal oral hygiene and routine expectorating of mucus. It can lead to great amounts of bacteria. It increases the risk connected with pneumonia. So, when a body has such stress, as a trauma, several hormones, including hydrocortisone, should be involved in healing. But this process may be blocked by trauma. That’s why such individual needs an external supplement of steroids for a short period of time in order to increase healing responses of the body.
Although these studies have proven usefulness of the steroid hydrocortisone for individuals with brain injuries, some more researches have to be conducted. It manifests that steroids can save lives of people in several cases.