Description
Indications of Decason Tablet
Allergic states: Control of severe or incapacitating allergic conditions intractable to adequate trials of conventional treatment in asthma, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, drug hypersensitivity reactions, perennial or seasonal allergic rhinitis, and serum sickness.
Collagen disease: Like lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
Dermatologic diseases: Bullous dermatitis herpetiformis, exfoliative erythroderma, mycosis fungicides, pemphigus, and severe erythema multiforme (Stevens-Johnson syndrome).
Endocrine disorders: Primary or secondary adrenocortical insufficiency, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, hypercalcemia associated with cancer, and nonsuppurative thyroiditis.
Gastrointestinal diseases: Regional enteritis and ulcerative colitis.
Hematologic disorders: Acquired (autoimmune) hemolytic anemia, congenital (erythroid) hypoplastic anemia (Diamond-Black fan anemia), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in adults, and selected cases of secondary thrombocytopenia.
Neoplastic diseases: Leukemias and lymphomas.
Nervous system: Acute exacerbations of multiple sclerosis, cerebral edema associated with a primary or metastatic brain tumor, craniotomy, or head injury.
Ophthalmic diseases: Temporal arteritis, uveitis, and ocular inflammatory conditions unresponsive to topical corticosteroids.
Renal diseases: To induce a diuresis or remission of proteinuria in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome or due to lupus erythematosus.
Respiratory diseases: Berylliosis, fulminating or disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis when used concurrently with appropriate antituberculosis chemotherapy, idiopathic eosinophilic pneumonia, symptomatic sarcoidosis.
Rheumatic disorders: As adjunctive therapy for short-term administration (to tide the patient over an acute episode or exacerbation) in acute gouty arthritis, acute rheumatic carditis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, including juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (selected cases may require low-dose maintenance therapy). For the treatment of dermatomyositis, polymyositis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Miscellaneous: Diagnostic testing of adrenocortical hyperfunction, trichinosis with neurologic or myocardial involvement, tuberculous meningitis with subarachnoid block or impending block when used with appropriate antituberculosis chemotherapy.
Pharmacology
Dexamethasone is a glucocorticoid that reduces inflammation by preventing leukocyte migration and reversing enhanced capillary permeability. It inhibits the immune system’s usual reaction.
Dosage & Administration of Decason Tablet
In common, glucocorticoid dose depends on the seriousness of the condition and the reaction of the understanding. On the off chance that no positive reaction is famous within one or two days, a continuation of glucocorticoid treatment is undesirable. In inveterate conditions requiring long-term treatment the most reduced measurement that gives satisfactory, but not fundamentally total, help ought to be utilized.
For tablet:
- In adult patients, daily oral dosages vary from 1 mg to 10 mg, and in children from 0.03-0.20 mg/kg body weight, according to the individual response.
- In some patients higher dosages may be temporarily required, to control the disease. As soon as circumstances permit, the dosage should be decreased.
- For a short dexamethasone suppression test 1 mg dexamethasone is given at 11 p.m. and plasma cortisol is measured the next morning.
- Patients who do not show a decrease in cortisol can be exposed to a longer test: 0.5 mg dexamethasone is given at 6-hour intervals
- for 48 hours followed by 2 mg every 6 hours for a further 48 hours. 24-hour urine collections are made before, during, and at the end of the test for the determination of 17 alpha-hydroxy corticoids.
For injection:
Dexamethasone can be given by intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), or local injection. Dexamethasone injections can also be diluted with an infusion fluid or injected directly into the infusion line.
- Intravenous injections of massive doses should be given slowly, over a period of several minutes.
- Intramuscular administration should be given by deep intramuscular injection, to prevent atrophy of the subcutaneous adipose tissues.
- Intra-articular injections should be given under strictly aseptic conditions as glucocorticoids decrease the resistance to infection. When diluted with these infusion fluids, Dexamethasone will keep its potency for at least 24 hours (at room temperature and in daylight conditions). As infusion fluids, Sodium chloride 0.9%, Anhydrous glucose 5%, Invert sugar 10%, Sorbitol 5%, Ringer’s solution, Hartman’s solution (Ringer-lactate), etc. Can be used.
- The dosage of Dexamethasone depends on the severity of the condition and the response of the patient.
- For systemic therapy in adults, daily doses of 0.05-0.20 mg/kg body weight are usually sufficient. For emergencies (e.g., anaphylaxis, acute severe asthma, cerebral edema) substantially higher doses are required. An initial dose of 10-20 mg IV is followed by 6 mg IV or IM every 6 hours until a satisfactory result has been obtained. Thereafter the dosage has to be tapered off gradually.
For local therapy, the following doses are recommended:
- Intra-articularly: 2-4 mg in large and 0.8-1 mg in small joints
- Intrabursally: 2-4 mg; in tendon sheaths:0.4-1 mg
- The frequency of these injections may vary from every 3-5 days to every 2-3 weeks
Interaction of Decason Tablet
- Diuretics and/or cardiac glycosides, since potassium loss may be enhanced. This is a particular risk in patients using cardiac glycosides; since hypokalemia increases the toxicity of these drugs.
- Antidiabetics, since glucocorticoids may impair glucose tolerance, thereby increasing the need for antidiabetic drugs.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, since the incidence and/or severity of gastro-intestinal ulceration may increase.
- Oral anti-coagulants since glucocorticoids may alter the need for these drugs.
- Glucocorticoids may be less effective when used concomitantly with liver enzyme-inducing drugs, such as rifampicin, ephedrine, barbiturates, phenytoin, and primidone.
- If patients undergoing long-term therapy with glucocorticoids are concomitantly given salicylates, any reduction in glucocorticoid dosage should be made with caution, since salicylate intoxication has been reported in such cases.
- Antacids; especially those containing magnesium trisilicate, have been reported to impair the gastrointestinal absorption of glucocorticoids. Therefore, doses of one agent should be spaced as far as possible from the other.
Contraindications
- Gastric and duodenal ulcers.
- Systemic and ophthalmic fungal infections.
- Viral infections, e.g., varicella and herpes genitals infections. Viral infections of the eye.
- Glaucoma.
- Hypersensitivity to corticosteroids
Side Effect of Decason Tablet
The following adverse reactions have been associated with prolonged systemic glucocorticoid therapy.
Endocrine and metabolic disturbances: Cushing-like syndrome, hirsutism, menstrual irregularities, premature epiphyseal closure, secondary adrenocortical and pituitary unresponsiveness, decreased glucose tolerance, and negative nitrogen, and calcium balance.
Fluid and electrolyte disturbances: Sodium and fluid retention, hypertension, potassium loss, hypokalaemic alkalosis.
Musculoskeletal effects: Myopathy, abdominal distension, osteoporosis, aseptic necrosis of femoral and humeral heads.
Gastrointestinal effects: Gastric and duodenal ulceration, perforation, and hemorrhage.
Dermatological effects: Impaired wound healing, skin atrophy, striae, petechiae and ecchymoses, bruising, facial erythema, increased sweating, and acne.
Central Nervous System effects: Psychic disturbances ranging from euphoria to frank psychotic manifestations, convulsions, in children pseudotumor cerebri (benign intracranial hypertension) with vomiting and papilledema.
Ophthalmic effects: Glaucoma, increased intraocular pressure, posterior subcapsular cataracts.
Immunosuppressive effects: Increased susceptibility to infections, decreased responsiveness to vaccination, and skin tests.
Pregnancy & Lactation
Pregnancy Category C. There are no satisfactory and well-controlled considerations in pregnant ladies. Corticosteroids ought to be utilized amid pregnancy as it were on the off chance that the potential advantage legitimizes the potential chance to the hatchling. Glucocorticoids show up in breast milk. Mothers taking tall doses of corticosteroids ought to be prompted not to breastfeed.
Precautions & Warnings
General: The lowest possible dose of corticosteroids should be used to control the condition under treatment. The reduction should be gradual.
Cardio-renal: These agents should be used with caution in patients with congestive heart failure, hypertension, or renal insufficiency.
Endocrine: Drug-induced secondary adrenocortical insufficiency may be minimized by a gradual reduction of dosage.
Gastrointestinal: Steroids should be used with caution in active or latent peptic ulcers, diverticulitis, intestinal anastomoses, and nonspecific ulcerative colitis, since they may increase the risk of a perforation.
Musculoskeletal: Special consideration should be given to patients at increased risk of osteoporosis (e.g., postmenopausal women) before initiating corticosteroid therapy.
Neuro-psychiatric: An acute myopathy has been observed with the use of high doses of corticosteroids, most often occurring in patients with myasthenia gravis or in patients receiving concomitant therapy with neuromuscular blocking drugs (e.g., alcuronium). Psychic derangements may appear ranging from euphoria, insomnia, mood swings, personality changes, and severe depression, to frank psychotic manifestations.
Therapeutic Class
Glucocorticoids
Storage Conditions
Even if the canister appears to be empty, it should not be punctured, broken, or incinerated. Avoid storing in direct sunlight or in a hot environment. Keep it below 30°C. Keep your distance from the eyes. Keep your distance from youngsters.
Pharmaceutical Name
Generic of Decason Tablet
Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate.