Effects of Hydrocortisone in Severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia

Abstract

Thirty patients (16 male, 14 female) with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia have been encountered in the past 2 years. Fifteen cases (7 male, 8 female) diagnosed as severe were treated by hydrocortisone (5mg/kg, for 5-7 days) combined with EM or DOXY.
This treatment brought about the rapid disappearance of fever, coughing attacks and abnormal shadow on chest x-ray. Immunosuppressed animals infected with Mycoplasma reportedly showed a much less severe reaction reaction than immunologically normal animal. We consider severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia to be caused by immunological hyperreaction in the host with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.
Therefore, concomitant administration of hydrocortisone for severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia appears to be very effective in improving the condition of local immunological hypersensitivity.