Treatment with corticosteroids benefits for persons with brain injuries

The French have conducted some researches linked with pneumonia and steroids. According to the results of their researches, those who experience brain injuries may avoid complications linked with pneumonia, if they are cured with the steroid hydrocortisone. These latest studies have demonstrated several positive effects of steroids for medical purposes.
Pneumonia which is caused by traumatic brain injury is a dangerous condition. Unfortunately, it occurs often. The Journal of the American Medical Association has noticed that the percentage of pneumonia that 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 enhanced. 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 manifested that application of corticosteroids may lower 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 had different types of dangerous brain injuries were cured with the steroid hydrocortisone. Other individuals with this disease were cured only with sugar pills. More than half of persons that were given sugar pills started to suffer from pneumonia over the month. As for those who were treated with the steroid hydrocortisone, the results were better. Less than 36 % of them acquired 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 that were given sugar pills.
Dr. Lisandro Irizarry of the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City has noted that the study is interesting but it requires further studies in order to be claimed a part of usual 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 usual oral hygiene and routine expectorating of mucus. It can lead to great amounts of bacteria. It enhances the risk related to pneumonia. So, when a body has such stress, as a trauma, several hormones, including hydrocortisone, must assist in healing. But this process can be blocked by trauma. That’s why such individual needs an external supplement of steroids for a short period of time in order to enhance healing responses of the body.
Although these studies have proven effectiveness of the steroid hydrocortisone for patients with brain injuries, some more researches have to be conducted. It shows that steroids are able to save lives of people in several situations.