NEOPRED Prednisolone Sodium Phosphate 20mg / 5mL Syrup 30mL
Indications/Uses
Dosage/Direction for Use
Alternate-day early morning dosage regimens produce less suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis but may not always provide adequate control or as prescribed by the physician.
Administration
Contraindications
Patients with active or doubtfully quiescent tuberculosis should not be given corticosteroids except, very rarely, as adjunct to treatment with antitubercular drugs. Patients with quiescent tuberculosis should be observed closely and should receive chemoprophylaxis if corticosteroid therapy is prolonged.
During prolonged courses of corticosteroid therapy, patients should be examine regularly. Sodium intake may need to be reduced and calcium and potassium supplements may be necessary. Monitoring of the fluid intake and output, and daily weight records may give early warning of fluid retention. Back pain may signify osteoporosis.
Special Precautions
Adverse Reactions
Mineralocorticoid adverse effects are manifested in the retention of sodium and water with edema and hypertension, and in the increased excretion of potassium with the possibility of hypokalemic alkalosis. In susceptible patients, cardiac failure may be induced.
Adverse glucocorticoid effects lead to mobilisation of calcium and phosphorus with osteoporosis and spontaneous fractures; muscle wasting and nitrogen depletion; and hyperglycemia with accentuation or precipitation of the diabetic state. The insulin requirements of diabetic patients are increased. Increased appetite is often reported.
Impaired tissue repair and immune function can lead to delayed wound healing and increased susceptibility to infection. Increased susceptibility to all kinds of infection, including septicemia, tuberculosis, fungal infections, and viral infections, has been reported in patients on corticosteroid therapy. Infections may also be masked by the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects of glucocorticoids. The increased severity of varicella and measles may lead to a fatal outcome in a non-immune patients receiving systemic corticosteroid therapy.
Other adverse effects include menstrual irregularities, amenorrhea, hyperhidrosis, skin thinning, ocular changes including development of glaucoma and cataract, mental and neurological disturbances, benign intracranial hypertension, acute pancreatitis and avascular necrosis of bone. An increase in the coagulability of the blood may lead to thromboembolic complications. Peptic ulceration has been reported but reviews of the literature do not always agree that corticosteroids are responsible for an increased incidence. Adverse effects should be treated symptomatically, with the corticosteroid dosage reduced or slowly withdrawn where possible.
Drug Interactions
Storage
Action
Peak plasma concentrations of prednisolone are obtained 1-2 hrs after administration by mouth and it has a usual plasma t½ of 2-4 hrs. Its initial absorption, but not its overall bioavailability, is affected by food.
Prednisolone is extensively bound to plasma proteins, although less so than hydrocortisone (cortisol).
Prednisone is excreted in the urine as free and conjugated metabolites, together with an appreciable proportion of unchanged prednisolone. Prednisolone is largely inactivated as it crosses the placenta; small amounts are excreted in breast milk.
Prednisolone has a biological t½ lasting several hours, intermediate between those of hydrocortisone (cortisol) and the longer-acting glucocorticoids eg, dexamethasone. It is this intermediate duration of action that makes it suitable for the alternate-day dosage regimens which have been found to reduce the risk of adrenocortical insufficiency, yet provide adequate corticosteroid coverage in some disorders.
MedsGo Class
Features
- Prednisolone