The Effectiveness of Corticosteroid Usage in Complex Therapy for Severe Sepsis and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Cases of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Background: Severe traumatic brain injury (STBI) is an important issue in contemporary medicine and treatment strategies are still in need of improvement. The most dangerous complications of STBI are multiple organ failure and severe sepsis. As many as 80% of STBI patients with multiple organ failure have acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The need for better treatment strategies for STBI has led to investigations of the positive therapeutic effects of corticosteroids (CS). About 10 to 15 years ago research showed the inexpediency of CS in STBI therapy, but there were also contradictory findings showing their effectiveness. STBI is frequently followed by severe sepsis, which is not usually treated with CS. No scientific papers investigated the usage or non-usage of CS in patients with STBI followed by severe sepsis and ARDS.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of CS usage on treatment results in patients with STBI followed by severe sepsis and ARDS.

Material and methods: The study involved an analysis of the treatment results in 267 patients with STBI followed by severe sepsis and ARDS, who were treated with and without CS.

Results: The study showed that patients' mortality decreased 1.24 times with CS use (500 mg/day of Solu-Medrol® for three days, followed by dose reduction by one-half every 3 days). Patients who took CS survived longer than patients without this treatment. The duration mechanical ventilation was shorter in patients who were treated with CS compared to the other group.

Conclusions: Further research into CS use is needed to improve treatment strategies for STBI followed by severe sepsis and ARDS.