Author/Year/ Country/ Study Design/N |
Methods |
Outcomes |
Methylprednisolone |
Roberts et al.
(2004)
International
RCT
PEDro=10
N=10,008 |
Population: ABI; Mean Age=37 yr; Gender: Male=6104, Female=1904; Median Time Post Injury=3 hr; Severity: Mild=3002, Moderate=3040, Severe=3966.
Intervention: Patients were randomized to receive either methylprednisolone (n=5007) or placebo (n=5001). Methylprednisolone was administered intravenously at a loading dose of 2 g/hr in a 100 mL infusion, and maintained at 0.4 g/hr for 48 hr in a 20 mL/hr infusion. Outcomes were assessed at 2 wk post treatment.
Outcome Measure: Mortality. |
- Compared with the placebo group, the risk of death was higher in the methylprednisolone group (RR=1.18; p=0.0001).
- Relative risk of death did not differ by injury severity (p=0.22) or time post injury (p=0.05).
|
Giannotta et al. (1984)
USA
RCT
PEDro=7
N=88 |
Population: TBI; Time Post Injury≤6 hr; GCS Range≤8.
Intervention: Patients were randomized to receive high-dose methylprednisolone (n=38; 30 mg/kg/6 hr for 2 doses, 250 mg/6 hr for 8 doses, then tapered), low-dose methylprednisolone (n=34; 1.5mg/kg/6hr for 2 doses, 25 mg/6 hr for 8 doses, then tapered), or placebo (n=16) over 8 days.
Outcome Measure: Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), Mortality. |
- At 6mo, there was no significant difference in mortality or morbidity between groups.
- For patients younger than 40 yr, there was a combined 43% mortality in the low dose and placebo groups compared to a 6% mortality in the high dose group (p<0.05).
|
Saul et al.
(1981)
USA
RCT
PEDro=4
N=100 |
Population: TBI; Mean Age=31 yr; Time Post Injury≤6 hr; GCS Range≤7.
Intervention: Patients were randomized receive to either intravenous methylprednisolone (250 mg bolus followed by a continuous 125 mg/6 hr infusion) or no drug.
Outcome Measure: Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). |
- At 6mo, no significant difference was seen in proportion of GOS=3-5 compared to GOSE=1-2 between groups (p=0.22).
|
Oliynyk et al.
(2016)
Ukraine & Poland
Case Series
N=267 |
Population: Severe TBI
Intervention: Retrospective analysis of patients with sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to severe TBI who were administered Solu-Medrol (methylprednisolone) for 3 days (500 mg/ day), followed by reductions in dosage by one-half every 3 days after. Patients were further analysed based on the type of respiratory support they received to treat their ARDS: controlled volume forced expiration, or biphasic positive airway pressure [BiPAP]).
Outcome Measure: Mortality. |
- Patient mortality decreased by 1.24x when BiPAP mechanical ventilation was used compared to volume-controlled forced ventilation (5-7mL/kg) (p=0.01). For the patients who survived, the duration of BiPAP ventilation was 1.32x shorter than forced ventilation with volume control duration.
- Corticosteroids improved mortality rate with both ventilation systems. For dead patients, corticosteroids prolonged ventilation time (all p<0.01) and for surviving patients, the ventilation period was shortened (both p<0.01).
|
Dexamethasone |
Dearden et al.
(1986)
UK
RCT
PEDro=4
N=130 |
Population: TBI; Age Range=3-79 yr; Gender: Male=93, Female=37; Time Post Injury: ≤8 hr=93, >8 hr=37; Severity: Mild/Moderate=23, Severe=107.
Intervention: Patients randomized to receive either IV bolus of dexamethasone (n=68) or placebo (n=62). Dexamethasone was administered intravenously at 100 mg/ days on days 1-3, 50 mg/ days on day 4, and 25 mg on day 5.
Outcome Measure: Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). |
- GOS score at 6 mo was worse in the steroid group than the placebo group (49% versus 35.5% dead or vegetative), but the difference was not significant (p>0.05).
- Patients in the steroid group with ICP >20 mmHg and >30 mmHg showed significantly poorer outcomes on GOS compared to similar patients in the placebo group (p<0.05).
|
Braakman et al. (1983)
Netherlands
RCT
PEDro=4
N=161 |
Population: TBI; Time Post Injury<6 hr; Severity: Severe.
Intervention: Patients were randomized to receive either high-dose dexamethasone (n=81) or placebo (n=80). After a 100 mg intravenous (IV) dose, Dexamethasone was administered IV at 100 mg/ day from days 1-4, at 16 mg/ day IV or intramuscularly (IM) from days 5 to 7, and at 12 mg, 8 mg, 4 mg IV or IM on day 8 9, and 10, respectively.
Outcome Measure: Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), Mortality. |
- No significant differences were seen in 1mo mortality rates or in 6 mo GOS scores between groups.
|
Kaktis & Pitts et al. (1980)
USA
RCT
PEDro=4
N=115 |
Population: ABI.
Intervention: Patients were randomized to receive one of “mega dose” dexamethasone (50 mg, then 25 mg/ 6hr), conventional dose dexamethasone (10 mg, then 4 mg/6 hr) or saline placebo for a maximum of 7 days or until awakening.
Outcome Measure: Infections of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion (SIADH), Hyperglycemia. |
- Infections of the cerebrospinal fluid was significantly higher in the mega dose group than conventional dose and placebo groups (8% versus 0% versus 0%, p<0.025).
- SIADH was significantly more prevalent in the conventional dose group than the mega dose and placebo groups (19% versus 10% versus 0%, p<0.05).
- Hyperglycemia was more prevalent in the mega and conventional dose groups than the placebo (35% versus 34% versus 11%, p=0.05).
|
Glucocorticoids |
Watson et al.
(2004)
USA
Cohort
N=404 |
Population: TBI; Glucocorticoid (n=125): Mean Age=33 yr; Gender: Male=100, Female=25. Control (n=279): Mean Age=35 yr; Gender: Male=209, Female=70.
Intervention: Patients treated with glucocorticoids were compared to those not receiving them (control).
Outcome Measure: Incidence of Post-Traumatic Seizures (PTS). |
- One hundred and five patients received glucocorticoids within 1 day of their injury, and 20 received them ≥2 days.
- Patients receiving glucocorticoids within 1 day were more likely to develop first late PTS than were those without (HR=1.74, p=0.04).
- Those receiving glucocorticoids ≥2 days post injury had no similar associations with PTS (HR=0.77, p=0.66).
- Glucocorticoid administration was not associated with second late PTS development in any group.
|
Triamcinolone |
Grumme et al.
(1995)
Germany
RCT
PEDro=9
N=396 |
Population: TBI; Triamcinolone (n=187): Mean Age=31 yr; Gender: Male=154, Female=33. Placebo (n=209): Mean Age=31 yr; Gender: Male=168, Female=41.
Intervention: Patients were randomized to receive either triamcinolone or placebo. Triamcinolone was administered intravenously at 200 mg within 4 hr of injury, followed by 3×40 mg/ day for 4 days and 3×20 mg/ day for 4days
Outcome Measure: Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). |
- No significant difference was observed between groups in GOS at discharge or at 1 yr follow-up.
- A significantly greater proportion of patients with GCS<8 and focal lesions treated with triamcinolone achieved good outcomes on GOS compared to those treated with placebo (16/46 versus 10/47, p=0.0145).
|