Corticosteroids raise two-week death rate

摘要

Compared with placebo,the use of corticos-teroids to treat head injury is associated with an 18 per cent higher risk of death within two weeks,a new study has shown (Lancet 2004;364:1321).Corticosteroids have been used in the treatment of head injury for 30 years,because it is thought that post-traumatic inflammatory changes contribute to neuronal degeneration.Although previous studies had suggested that Corticosteroids may slightly reduce the risk of death,the trials had been too small to provide conclusive results.