Should We Use Glucocorticoids for Community-Acquired Pneumonia?

A meta-analysis suggests that glucocorticoids decrease risk for acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Glucocorticoids are standard therapy for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but could they also be beneficial in treating community-acquired pneumonia (CAP)? In a meta-analysis to answer this question, investigators pooled results from nine randomized, controlled trials (1667 patients) and six cohort studies (4095 patients) of glucocorticoid treatment in adults with CAP.

Patients received a mean glucocorticoid dose equivalent to 30 mg/day of methylprednisolone for 7 days. The relative risk for acute respiratory distress syndrome was 0.21 with glucocorticoid treatment. There was no mortality benefit from glucocorticoids. No adverse effects of treatment were observed.

Reviewing Author

Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardPortola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Speaker’s BureauPeerView Institute for Medical Education

Grant/Research SupportAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality; CDC; NIH–National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; NIH–National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); NIH–NIAID–Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group; Merck; Pfizer; Boehringer-Ingelheim; Shire; Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Novartis; bioMérieux; Siemens; Rapid Pathogen Screening; Magnolia; Stago; Innovative Biosensors; Molecular Detection, Inc.; Dyax Corp.; Trius Pharmaceuticals

Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardPortola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Speaker’s BureauPeerView Institute for Medical Education

Should We Use Glucocorticoids for Community-Acquired Pneumonia?

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Reviewing Author