Patients given the oral steroid prednisone to prevent an episode of chronic lung disease experienced some benefit.

Chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD) is a disabling lung disorder characterized by increasing breathlessness. Researchers in Canada have been looking at the effect of the oral steroid prednisone in reducing the risk of recurrence of an exacerbation of COPD. They recruited 147 patients who had been hospitalized for an episode and assigned them to either prednisone or placebo on discharge.

All patients also received oral antibiotics for ten days and inhaled bronchodilators. The overall rate of exacerbation of COPD within 30 days was 27 per cent in the prednisone group and 43 per cent in the placebo group. After 10 days of therapy, lung function was better in the prednisone group. But there was no significant difference in health-related quality of life between the two groups. The researchers conclude that prednisone offers a modest advantage in preventing exacerbations of COPD.

Source

New England Journal of Medicine 26th June 2003