Abstract
CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Preoperative glucocorticoid administration has been proposed for reducing postoperative morbidity. This is not widely used before esophageal resection because of incomplete knowledge regarding its effectiveness. The aim here was to assess the effects of preoperative glucocorticoid administration in adults undergoing esophageal resection for esophageal carcinoma. SEARCH STRATEGY: Studies were identified by searching the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cancer Lit, SCIELO and Cochrane Library, and by manual searching from relevant articles. The last search for clinical trials for this systematic review was performed in December 2004. SELECTION CRITERIA: This review included randomized studies of patients with potentially resectable carcinomas of the esophagus that compared preoperative glucocorticoid administration with placebo. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were extracted by the same reviewers, and the trial quality was assessed using Jadad scoring. Relative risk and weighted mean difference with 95% confidence limits were used to assess the significance of the difference between the treatment arms. RESULTS: Four randomized trials involving 146 patients were found. There were no differences in postoperative mortality, sepsis, anastomotic leakage, hepatic and renal failure between the glucocorticoid and placebo groups. There were fewer postoperative respiratory complications (p = 0.005) and multiple postoperative complications (p = 0.004) and lower postoperative plasma interleukin-6 levels (p = 0.00001) with preoperative glucocorticoid administration. There was a higher postoperative PaO2/FiO2 ratio (p = 0.0001) with preoperative glucocorticoid administration. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic administration of glucocorticoids is associated with decreased postoperative complications.