Steroids may save lives of persons with traumas

The French have conducted certain researches connected with pneumonia and steroids. According to the results of their researches, those who have brain injuries may avoid complications linked with pneumonia, if they are cured with the steroid hydrocortisone. These latest researches have demonstrated certain positive effects of steroids for therapeutic needs.
Pneumonia which is caused by traumatic brain injury is a serious disease. Unfortunately, it occurs frequently. The Journal of the American Medical Association has noticed that the percentage of pneumonia that appears because of traumas is 40-60 %. It is more spread among patients that have experienced 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 and economic problem.
Dr. Antoine Roquilly of the University of Nantes in France has claimed that experimental and clinical data have shown that usage of corticosteroids can reduce the occurrence and severity of pneumonia.
A study related to this problem was conducted 3 years from 2006 to 2009. 150 persons who had different types of severe brain injuries were treated with the corticosteroid hydrocortisone. Other persons with this condition were cured just with sugar pills. Over half of patients that were treated with sugar pills started to experience pneumonia over the month. As for those who were cured with the steroid hydrocortisone, the results were more promising. Less than 36 % of them acquired pneumonia during the same period of time. Thus, they didn’t need to be ventilated mechanically. Moreover, they avoided respiratory problems that troubled the patients 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 treatment.
Actually, 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 connected with pneumonia. So, when a body experiences such stress, as a trauma, some hormones, including hydrocortisone, have to be involved in healing. But this process may be suppressed by trauma. That’s why such person needs an external supplement of steroids for a short period of time in order to enhance healing responses of the body.
Although these researches have proven usefulness of the steroid hydrocortisone for patients with brain injuries, some more researches have to be conducted. It demonstrates that steroids can save lives of people in certain cases.