Title: Corticosteroids in Sepsis: Pathophysiological Rationale and the Selection of Patients
Volume: 10
Issue: 3
Author(s): Jorge Ibrain Figueira Salluh, Fernando Augusto Bozza, Andre Miguel Japiassu, Hugo Caire Castro Faria Neto, Patricia Torres Bozza and Pedro Povoa
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Bacterial infections, glucocorticoids, sepsis, septic shock, therapeutics
Abstract: Corticosteroids have been proposed for decades as adjunctive therapy of severe infections. These drugs have complex mechanisms of action involving anti-inflammatory and vasoactive properties. However, due to discordant results from clinical studies, the use of corticosteroids to treat patients with severe infections is still a matter of intense debate in the scientific and medical community. In the present article, we review the underlying mechanisms related to the potential benefits of corticosteroids and their impact on clinical management of severe sepsis.
