COPD Patients on Inhaled Steroids, Have Higher Risk of Severe Pneumonia

Filed in archive Cases , Treatment on July 16, 2007

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a condition characterized by coughing thick mucus and difficulty in breathing. There is no cure, COPD is irreversible, but treatments are administered to make the patients more comfortable.

These days, prescription of inhaled corticosteroids to COPD patinents has greatly increased to manage the disease.

However, according to a new cohort study, COPD patients on inhaled steroids are at a greater risk of severe pneumonia.

As reported in the second issue of the July issue of American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (published by the American Thoracic Society):

"In a large cohort of patients with COPD, we found that current inhaled corticosteroid use was associated with a significant 70 percent increase in the risk of being hospitalized for pneumonia.

Furthermore, for the severest pneumonias leading to death within 30 days of hospitalization, the risk with current inhaled corticosteroid use was also significantly increased."

Then what safer treatment will there be for COPD patients? Over at Pulmonology Channel, bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory agents (i.e. inhaled steroids) topped the list for medical treatment of COPD. A non-steroidal inhaled anti-inflammatory perhaps? That and quitting smoking.

Find more details from the full report.

[Photo Credit: NLM-NIH]