Prevention of pulmonary complications by 6-methylprednisolone in major abdominal surgery.

Methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) was compared in a randomized, double blind study to placebo in the prevention of respiratory complications in patients submitted to abdominal (vascular, pancreatic or hepatic) surgery. Two out of 42 (4.8%) patients treated with MPSS and 9 patients out of 40 (22.5%) who received placebo experienced a pulmonary complication (p less than 0.05) The results indicate that methylprednisolone could prevent the onset of respiratory complications in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.