Corticosteroid therapy associated with COVID-19 : an ally or a risk factor for the establishment of secondary fungal co-infections?

Corticosteroid therapy to combat inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2 seems to be a risk factor for developing secondary fungal co-infections. PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were searched, with the following word groups: [(aspergillosis OR mucormycosis OR candidiasis) AND (coronavirus disease) AND...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Amaral, Thaís Ferreira do, Coutinho, Natália Monteiro da Silva Rodrigues, Fuentefria, Rubia do Nascimento, Fuentefria, Alexandre Meneghello, Machado, Gabriella da Rosa Monte
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:Brasil
Institución:Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
Repositorio:Repositório Institucional da UFRGS
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:www.lume.ufrgs.br:10183/270831
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10183/270831
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Corticosteróides
Efeitos colaterais e reações adversas relacionados a medicamentos
COVID-19
Tratamento farmacológico da COVID-19
Aspergilose
Coinfecção
Mucormicose
Fungal co-infections
Mucormycosis
Aspergillosis
Corticotherapy
Descripción
Sumario:Corticosteroid therapy to combat inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2 seems to be a risk factor for developing secondary fungal co-infections. PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were searched, with the following word groups: [(aspergillosis OR mucormycosis OR candidiasis) AND (coronavirus disease) AND (corticoids). The selected articles present the main risk factors related to the establishment of secondary fungal co-infections in COVID-19 patients. Corticosteroid therapy used to combat inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to be strongly associated with the establishment of mucormycosis and aspergillosis. Mucormycosis has been the main fungal co-infection related to corticosteroid therapy, causing a high number of deaths in COVID-19 patients. Diabetes mellitus was the most prevalent comorbidity, especially for the establishment of mucormycosis. Dexamethasone use seems to be associated with mucormycosis emergence and death. However, aspergillosis showed a greater relationship with patient recovery. Thus, risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, combined with corticosteroid use, have shown a relationship to the establishment of mucormycosis. The corticosteroids used in COVID-19 patients should be individually analyzed, considering the patient’s medical history and the risk/benefit ratio of the use of these drugs.