Corticosteroids, which are routinely used to treat patients with acute traumatic brain injury, may lead to death, reports a study conducted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
British researchers had studied the effect of this drug on more than 10000 patients with brain injury. The study was conducted to see the effect of corticosteroids versus placebos given to brain injury patients. The results showed that there seems to be an increase in number of deaths due to corticosteroids than placebo. 21% of the patients died after placebos, versus 18% of people who died without the administration of the drug.Corticosteroids are hormones administered in treating inflammation that may result from a number of circumstances, including joint injuries, brain injuries or even asthma.
The study, which came in the recent issue of the journal The Cochrane, suggests that such treatment may not be routinely done with patients with traumatic head injury. Although the trial accounts for increase in mortality rates by using steroids, researchers are also of opinion that more tests may be done and the result with maximum number of observations may only be accepted.
Link:
http://www.cochrane.org/cochrane/revabstr/AB000196.htm
