Treatment with corticosteroids is essential for individuals with traumas

The French have conducted some studies connected with pneumonia and steroids. According to the results of their studies, those who have brain injuries can avoid complications linked with pneumonia, if they are cured with the steroid hydrocortisone. These latest studies have shown certain positive effects of steroids for medical needs.
Pneumonia which 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 experienced brain injuries.
Early post-traumatic pneumonia requires serious medical care and hospitalization. The risk of death is increased. Of course, prevention of this condition is clinical as well as economic issue.
Dr. Antoine Roquilly of the University of Nantes in France has reported that experimental and clinical data have demonstrated that usage of corticosteroids may lower the appearing as well as severity of pneumonia.
A research related to this condition was conducted 3 years from 2006 to 2009. 150 individuals that had different types of dangerous brain injuries were treated with the corticosteroid hydrocortisone. Other persons with this condition were treated only with sugar pills. More than half of persons that were cured with sugar pills began to experience pneumonia over the month. As for those who were treated with hydrocortisone, the results were more encouraging. Less than 36 % of them got pneumonia during the same period of time. Thus, they didn’t need to be ventilated mechanically. Furthermore, they prevented respiratory problems that troubled the patients 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 considered a part of usual treatment.
 In fact, any person that has suffered from a brain injury may confront the problem, when he/she doesn’t have capacity to engage in normal oral hygiene and routine expectorating of mucus. It may lead to great amounts of bacteria. It increases the risk connected with pneumonia. So, when a body has such stress, as a trauma, certain hormones, including hydrocortisone, must be involved in healing. But this process can be suppressed 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.
However these studies have proven usefulness of the steroid hydrocortisone for patients with brain injuries, some more studies have to be conducted. It demonstrates that steroids have ability to save lives of people in several cases.