Persons with brain injuries can prevent complications, if they are treated with corticosteroids

The French have conducted certain studies related to pneumonia and steroids. According to the results of their studies, those who experience brain injuries can avoid complications related to pneumonia, if they are treated with the steroid hydrocortisone. These latest researches have manifested some benefits of steroids for therapeutic needs.
Pneumonia which is caused by traumatic brain injury is a dangerous disease. Unfortunately, it occurs often. The Journal of the American Medical Association has noted that the percentage of pneumonia which occurs because of traumas is 40-60 %. It is more spread among patients that have brain injuries.
Early post-traumatic pneumonia requires serious medical care and hospitalization. The risk of death is enhanced. 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 shown that intake of corticosteroids may decrease the appearing and severity of pneumonia.
A research related to this disease was conducted 3 years from 2006 to 2009. 150 individuals that experienced different types of severe brain injuries were cured with the steroid hydrocortisone. Other individuals with this disease were cured just with sugar pills. Over half of patients that were cured with sugar pills started to suffer from pneumonia over the month. As for those who were treated with hydrocortisone, the results were more promising. Less than 36 % of them acquired pneumonia during the same period of time. So, they didn’t need to be ventilated mechanically. Moreover, they prevented 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 stated that the research is interesting but it requires further researches in order to be claimed a part of usual therapy.
 Actually, any individual that has experienced a brain injury can confront the problem, when he/she doesn’t have capacity to engage in usual oral hygiene and routine expectorating of mucus. It can result in great amounts of bacteria. It increases the risk related to pneumonia. So, when a body experiences such stress, as a trauma, several hormones, including hydrocortisone, should be involved in healing. But this process may be suppressed 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.
However these studies have proven effectiveness of the steroid hydrocortisone for patients with brain injuries, some more studies have to be conducted. It manifests that steroids are able to save lives of people in some cases.