Steroids for All

Integrated Care: A Pill for All Ills?

There is an increasing policy emphasis on the integration of care, both within the healthcare sector and also between the health and social care sectors, with the simple aim of ensuring that individuals get the right care, in the right place, at the right time. However, implementing this simple aim is rather more complex. In this editorial, we seek to make sense of this complexity and ask: what...

Intraocular Pressure Effects of Common Topical Steroids for Post-Cataract Inflammation: Are They All the Same?

The efficacy of topical corticosteroids as ocular anti-inflammatory agents following cataract surgery is well-documented. They also help to prevent a number of complications associated with post-operative ocular inflammation, including corneal edema and cystoid macular edema. However, topical corticosteroids are associated with side effects, such as increased intraocular pressure (IOP). Indeed,...

Inhaled steroids for sarcoidosis?

Inhaled steroids for COPD?

Objectives: To determine the effect of long term inhaled corticosteroids on lung function, exacerbations, and health status in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Design: Double blind, placebo controlled study. Setting: Eighteen UK hospitals. Participants: 751 men and women aged between 40 and 75 years with mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 5...

Intranasal steroids for acute sinusitis.

BACKGROUND Acute sinusitis is a common reason for primary care visits. It causes significant symptoms and often results in time off work and school. OBJECTIVES We examined whether intranasal corticosteroids (INCS) are effective in relieving symptoms of acute sinusitis. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library, 2008, issue 4) which ...