As the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine, researchers studying possible treatments have found a commonly used steroid called dexamethasone that might help save one-third …
As the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine, researchers studying possible treatments have found a commonly used steroid called dexamethasone that might help save one-third of patients who end up on ventilators.
While another drug, remdesivir, has been shown to help people severely ill with COVID-19 recover more quickly, this is the first time any drug has been shown to significantly boost the survival rate of patients on ventilators.
“This is an exciting clinical trial — it is the first study of this magnitude that has shown a significant decrease in mortality,” said Dr. Todd Ellerin, chief of infection prevention at South Shore Health.
The study, conducted in the United Kingdom, included almost 6,500 patients from 175 hospitals. The results have not yet been vetted through the traditional peer review process.
Researchers found that patients on mechanical ventilators who were given a low dose of the steroid were more likely to recover than those who received standard care.
