Steroids do not Prolong Survival in Late-Stage ARDS

[Angel]

New results from the Late Steroid Rescue Study reveal steroids do not improve survival in intensive care patients on life support for acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS).

ARDS is a life-threatening condition that develops in critically ill patients who have other diseases such as pneumonia or sepsis, or who have major injuries that cause severe fluid build-up in both lungs, leading to breathing failure.
Researchers followed 180 ARDS patients from 25 hospitals in the United States for 180 days. Participants received either a moderate dose of methylprednisolone sodium succinate or placebo intravenously.

ARDS patients treated with steroids were able to get off the ventilator earlier than those on a placebo -- 14 days compared to 27 days -- and they had fewer days of intensive care during the first 28 days of the study. But they also had to go back on the ventilator more frequently and were much more likely to develop neuromuscular complications.

Study authors say patients and physicians will have to decide whether the positive effects of moderate doses of steroids outweigh the risks of neuromuscular complications. They stress the results clearly show steroids do not prolong survival in patients with late-stage ARDS and urge great caution in treating those patients with the drugs.