Hydrocortisone

HONOLULU — The risk for all-cause mortality was reduced among patients with community-acquired pneumonia who used hydrocortisone vs. other corticosteroids, according to a poster presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting.

People with severe community-acquired pneumonia who were treated with hydrocortisone had a lower risk for death 28 days after diagnosis compared with those who received placebo, a phase 3 trial found.

Clinicians are prescribing children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia decreasing dosages of hydrocortisone per body surface area as weight and BMI increase, without worse treatment outcomes, according to study data.

Hydrocortisone administered to extremely preterm infants who remained intubated at 14 to 28 days failed to improve survival without moderate or severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia at 36 weeks’ postmenstrual age compared with placebo.

In September, the FDA approved an immediate-release oral granule formulation of hydrocortisone for use as replacement therapy in adrenocortical insufficiency for patients younger than 17 years, according to a company press release.

Common “pitfalls” among rheumatologists when prescribing topical steroids include doses that are too weak or low in volume, and a failure to advise patients on side effects, said a speaker at the 2020 Congress of Clinical Rheumatology-East.

Adults with adrenal insufficiency who are adequately treated and trained display the same incidence of COVID-19-suggestive symptoms and disease severity as controls, according to a presenter.

People with adrenal insufficiency or uncontrolled Cushing’s syndrome are at greater risk for death from a respiratory-related infection, such as COVID-19, and should observe several key recommendations to avoid complications, according to a new position statement issued by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

When compared with hydrocortisone alone, treatment with a combination of IV vitamin C, thiamine and hydrocortisone did not prolong time alive and free of vasopressor administration for patients with septic shock, according to data from the VITAMINS trial.

Use of the dopamine agonist cabergoline during conventional fractionated radiotherapy to treat Cushing’s disease may be associated with a higher disease recurrence rate after an initial remission, according to findings published in Clinical Endocrinology.