Corticosteroids as risk factor for COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis in intensive care patients.

Purpose: Corticosteroids, in particular dexamethasone, are one of the primary treatment options for critically ill COVID-19 patients. However, there are a growing number of cases that involve COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA), and it is unclear whether dexamethasone represents a risk factor for CAPA. Our aim was to investigate a possible association of the recommended dexamethasone therapy with a risk of CAPA.