The steroid hydrocortisone may prevent pneumonia

The French have conducted several studies linked with pneumonia and steroids. According to the results of their researches, those who experience brain injuries may avoid complications related to pneumonia, if they are treated with the steroid hydrocortisone. These recent researches have demonstrated certain benefits of steroids for clinical purposes.
Pneumonia that is caused by traumatic brain injury is a severe illness. Unfortunately, it occurs frequently. The Journal of the American Medical Association has noted that the percentage of pneumonia which occurs due to traumas is 40-60 %. It is more spread among people that 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 condition is clinical and economic problem.
Dr. Antoine Roquilly of the University of Nantes in France has reported that experimental and clinical data have shown that intake of corticosteroids can reduce the appearing as well as severity of pneumonia.
A study related to this problem 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 treated only with sugar pills. More than half of individuals that were cured with sugar pills began to suffer from pneumonia over the month. As for those who were treated with the steroid 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. Furthermore, they avoided respiratory problems which troubled the individuals that were cured with sugar pills.
Dr. Lisandro Irizarry of the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City has noted that the research is interesting but it requires further studies in order to be considered a part of usual treatment.
In fact, any individual 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 may result in great amounts of bacteria. It increases the risk linked with pneumonia. So, when a body has such stress, as a trauma, some hormones, including hydrocortisone, must 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 in order 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 shows that steroids have ability to save lives of people in certain cases.