Corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory. Topical steroid is topical form of corticosteroid.
Purpose
Tx rash, eczema, dermatitis
Tx asthma → reduce airway inflammation
Antenatal corticosteroids → given to women expecting preterm delivery. It is used help the lungs of a premature fetus develop before the fetus comes out. It takes 1-2 days to work, and lasts 7 days. It has been shown to reduce RDS, and may reduce risk of IVH. It is useful even in PPROM. Examples include dexamethasone and betamethasone, with dexamethasone preferred because of better prophylaxis of brain softening
Classification
Examples of Hydrocortisone types, which are short to medium acting glucocorticoids, include:
Hydrocortisone (Cortisol)(i.e. produced by the adrenal cortex, in response to stress and hypoglycemia) when used as a medication. An example is Proctosedyl, which is topical, and combined with Cinchocaine hydrochloride
Hydrocortisone acetate
Cortisone acetate
Tixocortol pivalate
Prednisolone, including ​Prednisolone sodium phosphate oral liquid (Redipred)
Source: 3400&c=723462&h=4a7378dde21c8dacfeb6">Eye Care and Cure
Side effects
Neuropsychiatric, including:
Steroid psychosis
Anxiety
Depression
Steroid euphoria, which is a feeling of artificiaal wellbeing, in therapeutic doses. It is due to sensitzation of the body to the actions of adrenaline. It should be given in the morning to mimic the body's diurnal rhythm. If given at night, it can interfere w/ sleep
Cardiovascular, including:
Sodium retention through a direction action on the kidney, in a manner analogous to the mineralocorticoid aldosterone. This can cause fluid retention and HTN
Metabolic, including:
Moon face (movement of body fat to the face) and buffalo hump (movement of body fat to the torso), and away from the limbs
Muscle wasting, due to diversion of amino-acid to glucose, thus considered anti-anabolic
Endocrine, including:
Opposes the action of insulin, by increasing the production fo gluclse from amino acid breakdown, causing hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and diabetes mellitus
Skeletal, including:
Steroid-induced osteoporosis
Decreased height, if inhaled corticosteroids are used in kids w/ asthma
GI, including:
Collitis, although corticosteroids is autoimmune if used therapeutically in UC and Crohn's
Peptic ulceration, if taken for over 1 mo
Eyes, including:
Chronic use may predispose to cataract and retinopathy
Vulnerability to infection, suppressing immune reactions (hence their use in allergies), steroids may cause infections to flare up, notably candidiasis
Pregnancy, as corticosteroids have a low but significant teratogenic effect, causing a few defects per 1k pregnant women Tx. They are thus contraindicated in pregnancy
Habituation, including:
Topical steroid addiction (aka red skin syndrome, topical steroid withdrawal), reported in long term topical users, who apply it to their skin over a long period. This causes an uncontrollable, spreading dermatitis, and worsening skin inflammation requiring a stronger topical steroid to get the same result as the original prescription. If the drug is not applied, the skin experiences redness, burning, itching, hot skin, swelling, or oozing
Medicinenet.com Word of the Day Medicinenet.com Daily News
Medpage Today Latest Medical News
Health.com Happy & Healthy
Medical News Today headlines
Internal Medicine Clinical News
Modern Medicine News Modern Medicine Feature articles
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
BMJ Latest news BMJ Latest research BMJ Education
JAMA Current issue
The Lancet Current issue
NEJM Current issue
ScienceMag Current issue
NIH PubMed Health Featured reviews
ABC Health news ABC Health & Wellbeing ABC Health Minutes ABC RN's The Health Report ABC All in The Mind
BBC News - Health (International)
NSW Health Minister for Health Minister for Mental Health NSW Health Publications AI of Health & Welfare Publications Department of Health Publications
WHO Health news WHO Emergencies, disasters news WHO Disease Outbreaks WHO Health feature stories