Prevention of Post-Extubation Laryngeal Edema With Intravenous Corticosteroids

Tracheal intubation is a frequent procedure in intensive care units (ICU). Post-extubation laryngeal edema is a frequent complication with potential morbidity and mortality, and may lead to urgent tracheal re-intubation. Corticosteroids have been proposed to reduce the incidence of post-extubation laryngeal edema. A few clinical studies have been conducted in adult ICU patients and have led to discrepant results. These discrepancies may be related to the time lag separating the administration of the corticosteroids and the planned extubation. Accordingly, we tested the hypothesis that pretreatment with corticosteroids initiated 12 hours before a planned extubation may efficiently prevent the occurrence of postextubation laryngeal edema in critically-ill adults who have been mechanically ventilated for more than 36 hours in the ICU.