Background: Acute stroke patients suffering from aspiration may present with acute respiratory distress syndrome\n(ARDS). There is still a lack of convincing data about the efficacy of corticosteroids in the treatment of aspirationrelated\nARDS. Therefore, we evaluated the clinical impact of corticosteroids on aspiration-related ARDS.\nMethods: Between 2012 and 2014, we conducted a retrospective study among acute stroke patients diagnosed\nwith aspiration-related ARDS. The data analyzed included demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations,\nlaboratory examinations, chest imaging, and hospital discharge status.\nResults: Seventy-three acute stroke patients were diagnosed with aspiration-related ARDS. The hospital mortality\nrate was 39.7 %. Corticosteroids were administered in 47 patients (64.4 %). The mean dosage was 1.14 (standard\ndeviation [SD] 0.47) mg/kg daily of methylprednisolone (or an equivalent) by intravenous infusion for a period of\n7.3 (SD 3.8) days. Ground glass opacities in chest computed tomography images were resolved when\ncorticosteroids were administered. The admission National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score (odds ratio [OR]\n5.17, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.27ââ?¬â??10.64) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (OR 2.00,\n95 % CI 1.12ââ?¬â??3.56) were associated with an increased risk of hospital mortality, while albumin (OR 0.81, 95 % CI\n0.64ââ?¬â??0.92) and corticosteroids therapy (OR 0.50, 95 % CI 0.35ââ?¬â??0.70) were associated with a decreased risk.\nConclusions: Low-dose and short-term corticosteroid therapy may have an impact on survival in aspiration-related\nARDS. The presence of ground glass opacities on the chest computed tomography, performed to rule out\naspiration-related ARDS, could be translated into an increased possibility of positive response to corticosteroid\ntherapy.
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