Use of systemic steroids during pulmonary exacerbations in children and adolescent with Cystic fibrosis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

• Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder affecting lungs, leading to chronic infections and pulmonary exacerbations.
• Pulmonary exacerbations in CF patients necessitate intensive treatment, including hospitalization and supportive care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of systemic steroids on pulmonary exacerbations in pediatric and adolescent cystic fibrosis patients.
• To evaluate the role of systemic steroid therapy in managing acute exacerbations in cystic fibrosis.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study analyzed data from cystic fibrosis patients aged 3-18 years hospitalized for pulmonary exacerbations between January 2015 and December 2019.
• Patients were categorized into two groups: those receiving systemic steroids (Group A) and those not (Group B).
• Outcomes measured included length of hospital stay and duration of oxygen support.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in age, diagnosis age, weight, height, or frequency of pulmonary exacerbations between the groups.
• Patients receiving systemic steroids (Group A) showed a statistically significant reduction in the number of days requiring oxygen support compared to Group B (p<0.001).
• No significant difference was found in the mean length of hospital stay between the two groups (p=0.53).

Conclusions:

• Systemic steroid administration during hospitalization for acute cystic fibrosis exacerbations is linked to a shorter duration of oxygen dependency.
• This finding suggests that systemic steroids can be a beneficial adjunct to standard treatment for improving outcomes in pediatric CF patients experiencing pulmonary exacerbations.