Open AccessSeptic Complications of Corticosterojd Administration after Central Nervous System Trauma
Author(s) -
Eric J. DeMaria,
Wayne Reichman,
Pardon R. Kenney,
John Armitage,
Donald S. Gann
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
annals of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.153
H-Index - 309
eISSN - 1528-1140
pISSN - 0003-4932
DOI - 10.1097/00000658-198508000-00017
Subject(s) - medicine , central nervous system , administration (probate law) , intensive care medicine , anesthesia , political science , law
The records of 197 consecutive multiple trauma patients were reviewed to define the infectious complications of corticosteroids used to treat brain and spinal cord injury. An injury severity score (ISS) and a central nervous system (CNS) injury score were determined for each patient. Patients with an ISS less than 20 did well with or without steroids and were excluded from further study. All deaths that occurred 5 or more days after injury were caused by sepsis, and all occurred in steroid recipients. Twenty-nine of 61 steroid-treated early survivors developed infectious complications, compared to eight of 55 patients who did not receive steroids (47.5% vs. 14.5%, p less than 0.001). There was no correlation between severity of CNS trauma and infectious complication rate. Steroid-treated patients frequently developed multiple pathogen primary infections and multiple, simultaneous septic foci. Patients treated with steroids more often developed infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, assorted gram negative rods, anerobic bacteria, or fungi. The study strongly suggests a significant increase in both the incidence and severity of infectious complications occurring in patients treated with corticosteroids for CNS trauma.