Can steroids reverse the severe COVID-19 induced "cytokine storm"?
J Med Virol
; 92(11): 2866-2869, 2020 11.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32530507
ABSTRACT
Severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is characterized by an excessive proinflammatory cytokine storm, resulting in acute lung injury and development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The role of corticosteroids is controversial in severe COVID-19 pneumonia and associated hyper-inflammatory syndrome. We reported a case series of six consecutive COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia, ARDS and laboratory indices of hyper-inflammatory syndrome. All patients were treated early with a short course of corticosteroids, and clinical outcomes were compared before and after corticosteroids administration. All patients evaded intubation and intensive care admission, ARDS resolved within 11.8 days (median), viral clearance was achieved in four patients within 17.2 days (median), and all patients were discharged from the hospital in 16.8 days (median). Early administration of short course corticosteroids improves clinical outcome of patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and evidence of immune hyperreactivity.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Steroids
/
Cytokine Release Syndrome
/
COVID-19 Drug Treatment
Type of study:
Observational_studies
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
J Med Virol
Year:
2020
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: