Prolonged low dose corticosteroids improve the outcomes of severe community-acquired pneumonia.

What is it about?

We performed the first multicentric randomized placebo controlled trial on the use of low prolonged doses of corticosteroids for severe CAP.

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Why is it important?

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the main infectious cause of hospital death in most Countries. Antibiotics changed the perspective of CAP treatment since a long-time ago, but mortality among the severe CAP cases is still high independently from antibiotic therapy. Corticosteroids at low-prolonged dose showed improved outcomes in patients with severe CAP. Reduced hospital stay, improved oxygenation, reduced systemic inflammation, reduced need of mechanical ventilation and reduced mortality were observed in the corticosteroids treated group vs. controls.

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