Open AccessBeware of Steroid-Induced Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head in the Treatment of COVID-19—Experience and Lessons from the SARS Epidemic
Author(s) -
Shenqi Zhang,
Chengbin Wang,
Lei Shi,
Qingyun Xue
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
drug design, development and therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.964
H-Index - 64
ISSN - 1177-8881
DOI - 10.2147/dddt.s298691
Subject(s) - outbreak , medicine , middle east respiratory syndrome , disease , avascular necrosis , pandemic , intensive care medicine , coronavirus , covid-19 , femoral head , pediatrics , pathology , surgery , infectious disease (medical specialty)
The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global epidemic. Corticosteroids have been widely used in the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and the pathological findings seen in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are very similar to those observed in severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection. However, the long-term use of corticosteroids (especially at high doses) is associated with potentially serious adverse events, particularly steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head (SANFH). In today's global outbreak, whether corticosteroid therapy should be used, the dosage and duration of treatment, and ways for the prevention, early detection, and timely intervention of SANFH are some important issues that need to be addressed. This review aims to provide a reference for health care providers in COVID-19 endemic countries and regions.