Effectiveness of corticosteroids in prevention of pneumonia in persons with brain injuries

The French have conducted several researches linked with pneumonia and steroids. According to the results of their researches, those who experience brain injuries can avoid complications linked with pneumonia, if they are treated with the steroid hydrocortisone. These recent researches have shown some benefits of steroids for therapeutic needs.
Pneumonia which is caused by traumatic brain injury is a dangerous disease. Unfortunately, it occurs frequently. The Journal of the American Medical Association has noted that the percentage of pneumonia that appears due to traumas is 40-60 %. It is more spread among people that 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 issue.
Dr. Antoine Roquilly of the University of Nantes in France has stated that experimental and clinical data have manifested that usage of corticosteroids may lower the occurrence as well as severity of pneumonia.
A research connected with this disease was conducted 3 years from 2006 to 2009. 150 persons that experienced different types of serious brain injuries were treated with the steroid hydrocortisone. Other persons with this condition were cured just with sugar pills. More than half of patients that were treated with sugar pills began to experience pneumonia over the month. As for those who were cured with hydrocortisone, the results were better. 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 which troubled the individuals that were treated with 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 studies in order to be claimed a part of standardized therapy.
Actually, any person that has experienced a brain injury may confront the problem, when he/she doesn’t have capacity to engage in usual oral hygiene and routine expectorating of mucus. It can lead to great amounts of bacteria. It enhances the risk of pneumonia. So, when a body has such stress, as a trauma, several hormones, including hydrocortisone, should assist in healing. But this process can be blocked by trauma. That’s why such person needs an external supplement of steroids for a short period of time to increase healing responses of the body.
Although these researches have proven usefulness of the steroid hydrocortisone for individuals with brain injuries, some more studies have to be conducted. It manifests that steroids have ability to save lives of people in several cases.