title: Corticosteroids in severe community-acquired pneumonia: the path we choose depends on where we want to get.
abstract: Severe community-acquired pneumonia is a major cause of admission to intensive care units and its mortality rates remain exceedingly high. In the search for adjunctive therapies, clinicians who were encouraged by available, though limited, evidence prescribed steroids in most patients with severe sepsis or septic shock, including those with community-acquired pneumonia. Current evidence demonstrates that, whereas corticosteroids should not be routinely employed as adjuvant therapy for severe community-acquired pneumonia, there is sufficient equipoise to continue studying the use of corticosteroids.
authors: D'Or Institute for Research and Education, Rua Diniz Cordeiro, 30, Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil. jorgesalluh@gmail.com
authors: Jorge I F
authors: JI
authors: Salluh
authors: Márcio
authors: M
authors: Soares
authors: Pedro
authors: P
authors: Póvoa
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D057212:Therapeutic Equipoise
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D008775:Methylprednisolone