Dexamethasone for community-acquired pneumonia?

Meijvis et al randomized 304 people hospitalized with CAP in the Netherlands to receive dexamethasone (5 mg) or placebo daily for 4 days on admission. Those getting steroids had a ~1 day shorter length of stay and no adverse effects, besides hyperglycemia. Patients were ill, with almost half having a pneumonia severity index/PORT class of IV-V (the steroid arm were slightly sicker at baseline) and a ~7 day median hospital stay. (n=304) Lancet 2011;377:2023-2030.

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