Background and objective: Treatment with inhaled steroids is related to pneumonia and acute respiratory infection. The aim of this review is to quantify the effect inhaled steroids in pneumonia in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.
Material and method: We performed a systematic review of the systematic reviews that have studied inhaled corticosteroids in stable COPD patients.
Results: Inhaled steroid therapy in patients with clinically stable COPD causes an increase in the number of pneumonia. The NNTH of the analysed systematic reviews ranged from 12 subjects exposed to more than three years, to 80 subjects with one year follow up. Budesonide did not show this side effect.
Conclusion: It would be advisable to inform patients about the risk/benefit of these therapies.
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