Effectiveness of the steroid hydrocortisone for individuals with traumas

The French have conducted some researches connected with pneumonia and steroids. According to the results of their researches, those who have brain injuries can avoid complications linked with pneumonia, if they are cured with the steroid hydrocortisone. These recent researches have shown some benefits of steroids for therapeutic purposes.
Pneumonia that is caused by traumatic brain injury is a serious illness. Unluckily, it is widely spread. The Journal of the American Medical Association has noted that the percentage of pneumonia which appears because of traumas is 40-60 %. It is more spread among people who have 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 problem.
Dr. Antoine Roquilly of the University of Nantes in France has claimed that experimental and clinical data have demonstrated that intake of corticosteroids can reduce the appearing as well as severity of pneumonia.
A study connected with this problem was conducted 3 years from 2006 to 2009. 150 persons who had different types of dangerous 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 given sugar pills started to suffer from pneumonia over the month. As for those who were cured 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 avoided respiratory problems which troubled the individuals 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 therapy.
Actually, any person that has suffered from a brain injury can confront the problem, when he/she doesn’t have capacity to engage in normal oral hygiene and routine expectorating of mucus. It can result in great amounts of bacteria. It enhances the risk linked with pneumonia. So, when a body experiences such stress, as a trauma, several hormones, including hydrocortisone, have to be involved in healing. But this process can be blocked by trauma. That’s why such patient needs an external supplement of steroids for a short period of time to increase healing responses of the body.
However 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 have capacity to save lives of people in several cases.