A new way to treat pneumonia

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A new study out of McMaster Univeristy will likely change the way we treat pneumonia. Researchers analyzed data from 2000 patients and found that using steroids along with traditional treatment significantly improved their outcomes. They assessed 13 different studies that gave patients both corticosteroids and traditional antibiotic treatments for their community acquired pneumonia, that’s pneumonia that’s caught outside of the hospital.

Patients who were given corticosteroids were significantly less likely to need a breathing tube, be admitted to the intensive care unit or contract a severe complication called ‘acute respiratory distress syndrome’ which is often fatal. On average, they also stayed in hospital one day less than patients who only got antibiotics and researchers believe that’s an important improvement.

A small number of patients did experience a spike in blood sugar or mood swings that can sometimes occur with steroid use. Researchers say patients who are at high risk for those side effects should be treated with caution but generally, corticosteroids are safe for short term use and well understood by doctors.