Evaluation of Risk Factors for Laryngeal Edema after Tracheal Extubation in Adults and Its Prevention by Dexamethasone A Placebo-controlled, Double-blind, Multicenter Study

Because laryngeal edema (LE) after tracheal extubation is likely to result from an exudative response, corticosteroids often are given routinely as a preventive treatment. No adequate controlled study supports this strategy, however. A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial that included 700 consecutive patients requiring tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation was conducted to determine risk factors for LE occurence after tracheal extubation in adults and to evaluate the efficacy of corticosteroids in its prevention