Participants had no history of allergy or asthma and had not received oral/systemic corticosteroids during the last 6 mo.

Patients receiving nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids ( 10 mg per day), or both were allowed in the trial if they had been on stable doses for at least four weeks before randomization.

Individuals with ACD should not receive chronic systemic corticosteroids or immunosuppressives, unless extensive patch testing and evaluation have failed to identify remedial causes of the severe dermatitis.

Serum cortisol level determination was performed on all patients receiving exogenous corticosteroids or in patients with known risk factors for adrenal insufficiency.

All patients received controlled O 2 and nebulised bronchodilators, and about 75% of patients in both groups received corticosteroids and antibiotics.

By similar rationale, intravenous sodium bicarbonate should be given with caution to patients receiving corticosteroids.

At the time of resection most patients were receiving corticosteroids and sulphasalazine.

Most patients were receiving corticosteroids and sulphasalazine.

Patients receiving corticosteroids should be closely monitored for development of other OIs.

A systematic review identified 20 randomised controlled trials and included 12,303 participants, then compared patients who received corticosteroids with patients who received no treatment.