Lives of persons with brain injuries may be solved by steroids

The French have conducted certain studies related to pneumonia and steroids. According to the results of their studies, those who have brain injuries can avoid complications related to pneumonia, if they are treated with the steroid hydrocortisone. These latest studies have shown several positive effects of steroids for medical needs.
Pneumonia which is caused by traumatic brain injury is a serious condition. Unfortunately, it is widely spread. The Journal of the American Medical Association has noticed that the percentage of pneumonia which occurs because of traumas is 40-60 %. It is more spread among patients who have brain injuries.
Early post-traumatic pneumonia requires serious medical care and hospitalization. The risk of death is increased. Undoubtedly, prevention of this condition is clinical and economic issue.
Dr. Antoine Roquilly of the University of Nantes in France has claimed that experimental and clinical data have displayed that intake of corticosteroids can lower the appearing and severity of pneumonia.
A research linked with this problem was conducted 3 years from 2006 to 2009. 150 individuals who experienced different types of serious brain injuries were cured with the corticosteroid hydrocortisone. Other persons with this disease were treated only with sugar pills. More than half of persons that were treated with sugar pills started to suffer from pneumonia over the month. As for those who were cured with hydrocortisone, the results were better. 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 that troubled the individuals who 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 researches in order to be considered a part of standardized treatment.
 Actually, any individual that has suffered from a brain injury can 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 increases the risk related to pneumonia. So, when a body experiences such stress, as a trauma, certain hormones, including hydrocortisone, must be involved 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.
However these researches have proven effectiveness of the steroid hydrocortisone for patients with brain injuries, some more researches have to be conducted. It demonstrates that steroids are able to save lives of people in several situations.