Table 7.
Dose ranges of corticosteroids prescribed by indication
| Drug prescribed by indication (Number of prescribing events) | Median (IQR) starting dose mg | Dose range mg | Median (IQR) final dose mg |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Non-specific |
|
|
|
| Pred (59) |
20 (20) |
5 - 60 |
20 (20) |
| Meth (3) |
125 (0) |
125 - 125 |
125 (0) |
| Dex (67) |
4 (4) |
1 - 8 |
4 (4) |
|
2. Neurological |
|
|
|
| Pred (0) |
- |
- |
- |
| Meth (6) |
125 (0) |
80 - 125 |
125 (0) |
| Dex (71) |
8 (8) |
2 - 16 |
8 (8) |
|
3. Capsular stretching |
|
|
|
| Pred (1) |
20 (0) |
20 - 20 |
20 (0) |
| Meth (0) |
- |
- |
- |
| Dex (12) |
8 (4) |
4 - 12 |
8 (4) |
|
4. Soft tissue infiltration |
|
|
|
| Pred (1) |
20 (0) |
20 - 20 |
20 (0) |
| Meth (7) |
125 (0) |
125 - 125 |
125 (0) |
| Dex (32) |
8 (4) |
4 - 16 |
8 (4) |
|
5. Tenesmus |
|
|
|
| Pred (0) |
- |
- |
- |
| Meth (0) |
- |
- |
- |
| Dex (2) |
8 (0) |
8 - 8 |
8 (0) |
|
6. Inflammation s/c sites |
|
|
|
| Pred (0) |
- |
- |
- |
| Meth (0) |
- |
- |
- |
| Dex (10) |
0.75 (0.5) |
0.5 - 1 |
1 (0.5) |
|
7. Not clear/other |
|
|
|
| Pred (3) |
10 (0) |
6 - 80 |
10 (0) |
| Meth (1) |
1000** (0) |
1000 - 1000** |
1000** (0) |
| Dex (24) |
8 (4) |
1 - 32 |
4 (4) |
|
8. Chemotherapy |
|
|
|
| Pred (2) |
15(0) |
10 - 20 |
15 (0) |
| Meth (1) |
125 (0) |
125 - 125 |
125 (0) |
| Dex (6) |
12 (8) |
4 - 16 |
8 (6) |
|
Total* |
|
|
|
|
Pred (66, 21.5%) |
20 (20) |
5 - 80 |
20 (20) |
|
Meth (18, 5.8%) |
125 (0) |
80 - 1000** |
125 (0) |
| Dex (224, 72.7%) | 8 (4) | 1 - 40 | 8 (4) |
Key: IQR: Interquartile range; Pred: prednisone; Meth: methylprednisolone; Dex: dexamethasone.
*308 of 312 corticosteroid prescribing events are reported (four missing sets of data).
**There was a single instance of methylprednisolone being prescribed at a dose of 1000 mg; the reason for this dose was not recorded in the notes.