Steroids help in faster recovery from pneumonia

Corticosteroids are often used to treat inflammation caused by infectious diseases such as bacterial meningitis. In a study published in an issue of Journal of Infectious Diseases, a team of researchers show that subsequent treatment of steroids and antibiotics will produce faster recovery and lesser inflammation in the lungs of mice infected with a type of severe bacterial pneumonia.

According to Dr. Robert Hardy, the study's senior author and an associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics, some people may think that steroids given together with antibiotic would counteract the latter's effect. But their study proved otherwise. It turned out that antibiotic will only kill the bacteria but adding corticosteroid will help reduce inflammation in the lungs. The steroids will not kill the bacteria, but it will sure help in a faster recovery and restoration of health.

Mice were utilized during the study and were divided into three groups. Each group will receive placebo drugs, antibiotics, or a combination of antibiotic and steroid in order to investigate the effect of the bacteria on airway inflammation. The group which recovered faster was the one treated with a combination therapy. It was concluded by the researchers that adding corticosteroid to traditional antimicrobial therapy might help patients with pneumonia recover faster than antibiotics alone.

From Medical News Today:

"Some people might think that if you give steroids, it would counteract the effect of the antibiotic," said Dr. Robert Hardy, associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics and the study's senior author. "But it turns out you need the antibiotic to kill the bug and the steroid to make the inflammation in the lung from the infection get better. The steroids don't kill the bugs, but they do help restore health."