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Corticosteroids for severe influenza pneumonia : a critical appraisal
- Source :
- Repositório Institucional da UFRGS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), instacron:UFRGS, CIÊNCIAVITAE, World Journal of Critical Care Medicine
- Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- Influenza pneumonia is associated with high number of severe cases requiring hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions with high mortality. Systemic steroids are proposed as a valid therapeutic option even though its effects are still controversial. Heterogeneity of published data regarding study design, population demographics, severity of illness, dosing, type and timing of corticosteroids administered constitute an important limitation for drawing robust conclusions. However, it is reasonable to admit that, as it was not found any advantage of corticosteroid therapy in so diverse conditions, such beneficial effects do not exist at all. Its administration is likely to increase overall mortality and such trend is consistent regardless of the quality as well as the sample size of studies. Moreover it was shown that corticosteroids might be associated with higher incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia and longer duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay. Finally, it is reasonable to conclude that corticosteroids failed to demonstrate any beneficial effects in the treatment of patients with severe influenza infection. Thus its current use in severe influenza pneumonia should be restricted to very selected cases and in the setting of clinical trials.
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
medicine.medical_treatment
Influenza humana
Respiratory failure
law.invention
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Mechanical ventilation
law
Severity of illness
medicine
Corticosteroids
030212 general & internal medicine
Intensive care medicine
business.industry
Incidence (epidemiology)
Minireviews
Pneumonia
medicine.disease
Intensive care unit
Influenza
Clinical trial
Critical appraisal
Respiração artificial
030228 respiratory system
Corticosteróides
Insuficiência respiratória
business
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Repositório Institucional da UFRGS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), instacron:UFRGS, CIÊNCIAVITAE, World Journal of Critical Care Medicine
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....cf2bbc5d8470c3fb18092d986933d484