Efficacy of Corticosteroid Therapy in Severe Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Monocentric Single-blinded Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial from a Tertiary Care Center in North India

Aim and background: A dysregulated immune response can produce acute lung injury and worsen clinical status of patient by causing organ dysfunction and severe pneumonia. Modulating the immune response can improve the outcome of illness and avoid treatment failures. Glucocorticoids are well-known nat...

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Main Authors: Anurag Dahra, Vidiyala Sai Sandeep, Kamal Singh, Pritam Singh, Mandeep Singla
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publisher 2024-09-01
Series:Indian Journal of Respiratory Care
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Online Access:https://www.ijrc.in/doi/IJRC/pdf/10.5005/jp-journals-11010-1132
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author Anurag Dahra
Vidiyala Sai Sandeep
Kamal Singh
Pritam Singh
Mandeep Singla
author_facet Anurag Dahra
Vidiyala Sai Sandeep
Kamal Singh
Pritam Singh
Mandeep Singla
author_sort Anurag Dahra
collection DOAJ
description Aim and background: A dysregulated immune response can produce acute lung injury and worsen clinical status of patient by causing organ dysfunction and severe pneumonia. Modulating the immune response can improve the outcome of illness and avoid treatment failures. Glucocorticoids are well-known natural inhibitors of inflammation that can be used as an adjunctive treatment; however, their use still remains controversial. Hence, we planned this study to look at the efficacy of steroids to reduce treatment failure among patients of severe community-acquired pneumonia. Materials and methods: This was a monocentric, single-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled trial, conducted in 55 patients admitted in Government Medical College and Hospital Sector 32, Chandigarh. Participants were enrolled after they met all inclusion and exclusion criteria over a period of 12 months from January 2023 till December 2023. After enrollment, they were randomized through a 1:1 ratio to receive injection methylprednisolone 0.5 mg/kg q12h for 5 days and placebo along with standard antibiotic therapy. Outcomes included assessment of treatment failure, length of hospital stay, and mortality. The collected data was analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, IBM manufacturer, Chicago, USA, version 26.0. Results: In this study of 55 patients, 50 were included for analysis, with 3 leaving against medical advice and 2 withdrawing consent. Both groups had a mean age over 50 years. Initial hemodynamic stability was faster in intervention group (<italic>p</italic> = 0.025), but delayed stability was similar in both. Mortality during hospitalization (28 vs 40%; <italic>p</italic> = 0.37) and length of stay (6 days vs 8 days; <italic>p</italic> = 0.815) showed no difference. Early (57 vs 73%; <italic>p</italic> = 0.256) and late clinical stability (<italic>p</italic> = 0.572) were not significantly different. Likewise, early treatment failure (44 vs 64%; <italic>p</italic> = 0.156) and late treatment failure (18.18 vs 26.3%; <italic>p</italic> = 0.705) did not differ. Overall, primary and secondary outcomes did not show any statistically significant distinctions. Conclusion: In treating severe pneumonia, the use of an adjuvant corticosteroid was found to be statistically equivalent to using an antibiotic alone in this trial. Nonetheless, the intervention group showed a discernible improvement in clinical indicators and a decrease in complications, duration of hospital stay, mortality, and treatment failure rate, all of which remained below the threshold of statistical significance.
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spelling doaj-art-d1b1dcc413414a049e98479ec2a9d56b2025-08-20T03:06:06ZengJaypee Brothers Medical PublisherIndian Journal of Respiratory Care2277-90192321-48992024-09-0113317618110.5005/jp-journals-11010-11327Efficacy of Corticosteroid Therapy in Severe Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Monocentric Single-blinded Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial from a Tertiary Care Center in North IndiaAnurag Dahra0Vidiyala Sai Sandeep1Kamal Singh2Pritam Singh3Mandeep Singla4Department of General Medicine, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh, IndiaDepartment of General Medicine, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh, IndiaDepartment of General Medicine, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh, IndiaPritam Singh, Department of General Medicine, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh, India, Phone: +91 9646121560Department of General Medicine, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh, IndiaAim and background: A dysregulated immune response can produce acute lung injury and worsen clinical status of patient by causing organ dysfunction and severe pneumonia. Modulating the immune response can improve the outcome of illness and avoid treatment failures. Glucocorticoids are well-known natural inhibitors of inflammation that can be used as an adjunctive treatment; however, their use still remains controversial. Hence, we planned this study to look at the efficacy of steroids to reduce treatment failure among patients of severe community-acquired pneumonia. Materials and methods: This was a monocentric, single-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled trial, conducted in 55 patients admitted in Government Medical College and Hospital Sector 32, Chandigarh. Participants were enrolled after they met all inclusion and exclusion criteria over a period of 12 months from January 2023 till December 2023. After enrollment, they were randomized through a 1:1 ratio to receive injection methylprednisolone 0.5 mg/kg q12h for 5 days and placebo along with standard antibiotic therapy. Outcomes included assessment of treatment failure, length of hospital stay, and mortality. The collected data was analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, IBM manufacturer, Chicago, USA, version 26.0. Results: In this study of 55 patients, 50 were included for analysis, with 3 leaving against medical advice and 2 withdrawing consent. Both groups had a mean age over 50 years. Initial hemodynamic stability was faster in intervention group (<italic>p</italic> = 0.025), but delayed stability was similar in both. Mortality during hospitalization (28 vs 40%; <italic>p</italic> = 0.37) and length of stay (6 days vs 8 days; <italic>p</italic> = 0.815) showed no difference. Early (57 vs 73%; <italic>p</italic> = 0.256) and late clinical stability (<italic>p</italic> = 0.572) were not significantly different. Likewise, early treatment failure (44 vs 64%; <italic>p</italic> = 0.156) and late treatment failure (18.18 vs 26.3%; <italic>p</italic> = 0.705) did not differ. Overall, primary and secondary outcomes did not show any statistically significant distinctions. Conclusion: In treating severe pneumonia, the use of an adjuvant corticosteroid was found to be statistically equivalent to using an antibiotic alone in this trial. Nonetheless, the intervention group showed a discernible improvement in clinical indicators and a decrease in complications, duration of hospital stay, mortality, and treatment failure rate, all of which remained below the threshold of statistical significance.https://www.ijrc.in/doi/IJRC/pdf/10.5005/jp-journals-11010-1132community-acquired pneumoniacorticosteroid insufficiency related critical illnesscorticosteroidsmethylprednisolonerandomized controlled trialtreatment failure
spellingShingle Anurag Dahra
Vidiyala Sai Sandeep
Kamal Singh
Pritam Singh
Mandeep Singla
Efficacy of Corticosteroid Therapy in Severe Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Monocentric Single-blinded Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial from a Tertiary Care Center in North India
Indian Journal of Respiratory Care
community-acquired pneumonia
corticosteroid insufficiency related critical illness
corticosteroids
methylprednisolone
randomized controlled trial
treatment failure
title Efficacy of Corticosteroid Therapy in Severe Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Monocentric Single-blinded Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial from a Tertiary Care Center in North India
title_full Efficacy of Corticosteroid Therapy in Severe Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Monocentric Single-blinded Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial from a Tertiary Care Center in North India
title_fullStr Efficacy of Corticosteroid Therapy in Severe Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Monocentric Single-blinded Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial from a Tertiary Care Center in North India
title_full_unstemmed Efficacy of Corticosteroid Therapy in Severe Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Monocentric Single-blinded Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial from a Tertiary Care Center in North India
title_short Efficacy of Corticosteroid Therapy in Severe Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Monocentric Single-blinded Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial from a Tertiary Care Center in North India
title_sort efficacy of corticosteroid therapy in severe community acquired pneumonia a monocentric single blinded randomized placebo controlled trial from a tertiary care center in north india
topic community-acquired pneumonia
corticosteroid insufficiency related critical illness
corticosteroids
methylprednisolone
randomized controlled trial
treatment failure
url https://www.ijrc.in/doi/IJRC/pdf/10.5005/jp-journals-11010-1132
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