Evidence > Disease Focused Reviews Background Pneumonia is an acute inflammation of the lungs and treatments differ depending on the type and severity. Corticosteroids can influence immune regulation, carbohydrate metabolism, protein catabolism, electrolyte balance and stress response. However, the benefits of corticosteroids for patients with pneumonia remains unclear.

Objectives To assess the efficacy and safety of corticosteroids in the treatment of pneumonia.   Search strategy We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2010, Issue 11) which contains the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group's Specialised Register, MEDLINE (1966 to December ...