A retrospective study on the effects of low and high doses of betamethasone on severe closed head injury.

A retrospective analysis of 113 patients with severe head injuries (unconscious for six hours or more) showed no difference in the outcome for 59 patients treated with low doses of betamethasone compared to the outcome for 54 patients treated with high doses of betamethasone. There was no difference in the number of useful recoveries (low dose, 21/59; high dose, 20/54) and the mortality rates were about the same (low dose 29/59; high dose, 31/54). There were three deaths from infectious complications in the patients treated with high doses of betamethasone.