Steroids have ability to prevent occurrence of pneumonia

The French have conducted several studies related to pneumonia and steroids. According to the results of their researches, those who experience brain injuries may avoid complications linked with pneumonia, if they are cured with the steroid hydrocortisone. These recent studies have manifested certain positive effects of steroids for therapeutic purposes.
Pneumonia that is caused by traumatic brain injury is a dangerous condition. Unluckily, it occurs frequently. The Journal of the American Medical Association has noticed that the percentage of pneumonia which occurs because of traumas is 40-60 %. It is more spread among patients who have brain injuries.
Early post-traumatic pneumonia requires serious medical care and hospitalization. The risk of death is increased. Of course, prevention of this disease is clinical as well as economic problem.
Dr. Antoine Roquilly of the University of Nantes in France has stated that experimental and clinical data have demonstrated that usage of corticosteroids may reduce the occurrence as well as severity of pneumonia.
A research linked with this condition was conducted 3 years from 2006 to 2009. 150 individuals who had different types of serious brain injuries were treated with the corticosteroid hydrocortisone. Other persons with this disease were cured only with sugar pills. More than half of individuals that were cured with sugar pills started to suffer from pneumonia over the month. As for those who were treated with hydrocortisone, the results were more encouraging. Less than 36 % of them acquired pneumonia during the same period of time. So, they didn’t need to be ventilated mechanically. Moreover, they prevented respiratory problems that troubled the persons that were given sugar pills.
Dr. Lisandro Irizarry of the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City has noticed that the study is interesting but it requires further researches in order to be considered a part of standardized treatment.
In fact, any individual that has experienced a brain injury can 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 enhances the risk related to pneumonia. So, when a body experiences such stress, as a trauma, certain hormones, including hydrocortisone, have to assist in healing. But this process can be blocked by trauma. That’s why such patient needs an external supplement of steroids for a short period of time in order to increase healing responses of the body.
Although these researches have proven usefulness of the steroid hydrocortisone for persons with brain injuries, some more studies have to be conducted. It demonstrates that steroids have capacity to save lives of people in certain cases.