Methyl prednisolone and lung function after cardiopulmonary bypass.

Abstract
Patients [31] undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass for elective aortic valve replacement were studied. The effects of some aspects of lung function of i.v. methyl prednisolone, administered immediately before bypass, were assessed by measuring alveolar-arterial O2 differences and shunt fractions. No significant differences in pulmonary function were found between the treated and control groups. The use of methyl prednisolone in this context is not justified.