title: Cochrane Corner: Corticosteroids for viral myocarditis.
abstract: The causes of myocarditis are diverse, but a viral etiology is the most common. In this systematic review by the Cochrane Collaboration, the authors assessed the efficacy of corticosteroid therapy in patients with viral myocarditis. Eight randomized controlled trials with 719 patients (two trials in pediatric populations) were included for analysis. Pooled results did not show significant differences in mortality with the use of corticosteroids. Patients on corticosteroid therapy had significantly higher post-treatment left ventricular ejection fraction values compared to control. These results are limited by the significant heterogeneity associated with clinical trials. The best available evidence does not support the routine use of corticosteroids in patients with viral myocarditis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Farmacologia Clínica e Terapêutica, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Unidade de Farmacologia Clínica, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisboa, Portugal; Serviço de Cardiologia, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal. Electronic address: dgcaldeira@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caldeira
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cardiologia, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal; Centro de Cardiologia da Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudos de Medicina Baseada na Evidência, Faculdade Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Centro Colaborador Português da Rede Cochrane Iberoamericana, Portugal.
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaz-Carneiro
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Farmacologia Clínica e Terapêutica, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Unidade de Farmacologia Clínica, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisboa, Portugal; Centro de Estudos de Medicina Baseada na Evidência, Faculdade Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Centro Colaborador Português da Rede Cochrane Iberoamericana, Portugal.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones
keywords: Corticosteroides; Corticosteroids; Fração de ejeção do ventrículo esquerdo; Left ventricular ejection fraction; Miocardite; Mortalidade; Mortality; Myocarditis