Description

Prednisolone is a synthetic glucocorticoid which is easily absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract. It has 4 times the anti-inflammatory potency and 0.8 times the salt retaining potency of the natural adrenocortical hormone, hydrocortisone.

Prednisolone also has anti-allergic, anti-toxic, and immunosuppressive properties.

Composition

Each scored tablet contains :

• Prednisolone: 5 mg.
• Excipients: S.Q. for one scored tablet.

Indications

• Immuno-allergology: systemic lupus erythematosus, nephrotic syndrome, periarteritis nodosa, hypersensitivity reactions to drugs, serum sickness, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and for chronic immunosuppression in transplantation patients.
• Rheumatology: as adjunctive therapy for short-term administration in serious cases of rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatic osteoarthritis, acute rheumatic carditis.
• Endocrinology: primary or secondary adrenocortical insufficiency and adrenogenital syndromes, polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Ophthalmology: severe acute or chronic allergic inflammatory processes of the eye and its adnexa, such as allergic conjunctivitis, iritis, optic neuritis.
• Dermatology: pemphigoid , exfoliative dermatitis , erythema multiforme, severe psoriasis.
• Gastero-enterology: to induce remission of ulcerative colitis, some cases of chronic hepatitis.
• Cardiology: some cases of pericarditis.
• Pulmonology: asthmatic pulmonary and allergic alveolitis , severe bronchial asthma , non-specific obstructive lung diseases.
• Haematology and oncology: idiopathic and secondary thrombocytopenic purpura, auto-immune heamolytic anaemia, acute and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, acute myelocytic leukaemia.
• Neurology: cerebral oedema, in some cases of acute multiple sclerosis and peripheral neuritis.

Dosage & Administration

Cortapred tablets should be taken orally, with some fluid.

• The dosage in general depends on severity of the condition and the response of the patient.
• For primary and secondary adrenocortical insufficiency: 5-25 mg daily in divided doses, in adrenogenital syndromes: 10-20 mg /m2  of body surface daily in divided doses.
• For other therapy daily oral dosages of 5-30 mg are usually sufficient but in some patients higher dosage may be temporarily required , to control the disease. For tapering-off usage this should be done by giving one daily dose in early morning, preferably every other day.