Steroids may prevent pneumonia in persons with brain injuries

The French have conducted certain studies related to pneumonia and steroids. According to the results of their studies, those who have brain injuries can avoid complications connected with pneumonia, if they are treated with the steroid hydrocortisone. These recent researches have shown certain benefits of steroids for therapeutic purposes.
Pneumonia that is caused by traumatic brain injury is a severe illness. Unluckily, it occurs frequently. 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 people who have experienced brain injuries.
Early post-traumatic pneumonia requires serious medical care and hospitalization. The risk of death is quite high. Undoubtedly, prevention of this disease is clinical as well as economic issue.
Dr. Antoine Roquilly of the University of Nantes in France has claimed that experimental and clinical data have demonstrated that intake of corticosteroids may decrease the appearing as well as severity of pneumonia.
A research linked with this condition was conducted 3 years from 2006 to 2009. 150 persons who experienced different types of dangerous brain injuries were treated with the steroid hydrocortisone. Other individuals with this condition were cured only with sugar pills. Over half of individuals that were given sugar pills started to experience pneumonia over the month. As for those who were treated with hydrocortisone, the results were more promising. 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 which troubled the persons who were cured with sugar pills.
Dr. Lisandro Irizarry of the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City has stated that the study is interesting but it requires further researches in order to be claimed a part of standardized therapy.
In fact, any person that has experienced 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 linked with pneumonia. So, when a body has such stress, as a trauma, certain hormones, including hydrocortisone, should assist in healing. But this process can be suppressed by trauma. That’s why such patient needs an external supplement of steroids for a short period of time in order to enhance healing responses of the body.
However these studies have proven usefulness of the steroid hydrocortisone for individuals with brain injuries, some more studies have to be conducted. It demonstrates that steroids can save lives of people in several cases.