Use of corticosteroids in the sepsis syndrome: what do we know now?

Several lines of evidence support the use of corticosteroids as adjunctive therapy for sepsis. In human trials, high-dose, short-course corticosteroid therapy for sepsis has not shown benefit, but prolonged use of low doses has shown benefit in patients with vasopressor-dependent septic shock. The Corticosteroid Therapy of Septic Shock (CORTICUS) trial is addressing the remaining questions regarding the ideal target population for corticosteroid therapy, as well as the best definition of relative adrenal insufficiency in the critically ill.