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Oral steroids for bronchiectasis (stable and acute exacerbations)
T Lasserson1, K Holt, M Greenstone
1Public Health Sciences, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, Tooting, London, UK, SW17 0RE. tlassers@sghms.ac.uk
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|November 1, 2001
Summary
No randomized trials support oral corticosteroid use for bronchiectasis. Further research is needed to establish the efficacy of these anti-inflammatory drugs in managing this respiratory condition.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Inflammation is central to bronchiectasis pathophysiology.
- Limited evidence suggests potential benefits from inhaled and oral corticosteroids.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of oral corticosteroids in treating both acute and stable forms of bronchiectasis.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive search of clinical trials registers (MEDLINE, EMBASE) was conducted.
- Search terms included 'bronchiectasis' and various corticosteroid drug names.
- Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were considered for inclusion.
Main Results:
- No randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria for this review.
- Consequently, no data on the efficacy of oral corticosteroids in bronchiectasis was identified.
Conclusions:
- There is a lack of high-quality evidence from randomized trials.
- Recommendations for using oral corticosteroids in acute or stable bronchiectasis cannot be made at this time.