Glucocorticosteroid hormones are an indispensable part of therapeutic regimens in the treatment of many diseases accompanied by inflammatory processes. Including Dexamethasone - injections of this drug are highly effective and at the same time safe. In comparison with other glucocorticosteroids, this agent causes much less side effects.
Pharmacological features of injections of medicine Dexamethasone
The considered hormonal agent produces three main effects on the body:
- anti-inflammatory;
- immunosuppressive;
- antiallergic.
In addition, the solution of Dexamethasone reduces edema of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, which is necessary in the treatment of obstructive processes in the bronchi, and also reduces the viscosity of secreted secret, facilitating its excretion during coughing.
What are the injections of Dexamethasone for?
First of all, the presented drug is used in hormone replacement therapy of endocrine diseases:
- congenital hypoplasia of the adrenal cortex;
- Addison's disease;
- acute failure of the adrenal cortex, both primary and secondary;
- acute and subacute thyroiditis;
- adrenogenital syndrome;
- tumor hypercalcemia;
- hypothyroidism.
The remaining indications for the use of Dexamethasone injections:
1. Shock Condition:
- postoperative;
- post-traumatic;
- blood transfusion;
- cardiogenic;
- burn;
- toxic.
2. Pathology of the respiratory system:
- asthmatic status;
- infectious-allergic bronchial asthma;
- sarcoidosis ;
- exacerbation of chronic obstructive bronchitis;
- severe bronchospasm;
- Leffler's disease;
- disseminated tuberculosis;
- berylliosis.
3. Cerebral edema with:
- craniocerebral trauma;
- hemorrhages;
- tumors;
- encephalitis;
- neurosurgical operations;
- radiation injury of the lungs;
- meningitis.
4. Rheumatic diseases:
- acute rheumatic heart disease;
- rheumatoid arthritis during exacerbation;
- disseminated lupus erythematosus.
5. Anemia:
- idiopathic;
- autoimmune;
- congenital;
- erythroblastopenia;
- hemolytic;
- hypoplastic.
6. Diseases of the digestive system:
- hepatitis;
- nephrotic syndrome;
- nonspecific ulcerative colitis.
7. Degenerative and inflammatory processes in the joints and muscles:
- tenosynovitis;
- epicondylitis;
- arthritis;
- bursitis;
- osteochondrosis;
- styloidite;
- Bechterew's disease;
- osteoarthritis;
- myositis.
8. Blood diseases:
- secondary thrombocytopenia;
- lymphomas;
- lymphocytic leukemia;
- idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura;
- leukemia;
- plasmacytoma;
- agranulocytosis.
9. Ophthalmic pathologies:
- keratitis;
- irit;
- conjunctivitis;
- blepharitis;
- iridocyclitis ;
- keratoconjunctivitis;
- sclerite;
- sympathetic ophthalmia;
- blepharoconjunctivitis;
- episcleritis;
- inflammation after operations on the eyes.
10. Skin formations:
- red discoid lupus erythematosus;
- keloids;
- annular granuloma;
- acute severe dermatosis.
Dexamethasone injections are also prescribed for allergies, systemic lesions of connective tissue and severe infections. In the latter case, the hormonal drug is necessarily combined with an antibiotic.
How to properly inject Dexamethasone?
In urgent and acute conditions, intravenous injections of this drug are given in a dosage of 4-20 mg (depending on the revealed pathology) up to 4 times a day. The injection must be performed very slowly, for at least 1 minute.
If the state of health is satisfactory, the drug should be administered intramuscularly in a similar dose.
The course of such therapy is 3-4 days, maintaining a dose after relieving the exacerbation - 0.2-9 mg for 24 hours. If further treatment is necessary, go to Dexamethasone in the form of tablets.
Sometimes intra-articular and interstitial injections are prescribed. In such cases, the daily dose of the hormonal drug is 0.2-6 mg.
Contraindications and side effects of injections Dexamethasone
Diseases and conditions in which the described solution can not be used:
- glaucoma;
- infectious lesions of the periarticular tissues and joints;
- hypersensitivity;
- amoebic infections;
- active form of tuberculosis;
- systemic mycosis;
- acute purulent ocular infections;
- time before and after vaccination.
As for the side effects, Dexamethasone, as a rule, is well tolerated. In rare cases, there are non-dangerous disorders from the following systems of the body:
- digestive;
- cardiovascular;
- endocrine;
- nervous;
- musculoskeletal;
- immune.
Sometimes skin and local reactions are observed, calcium metabolism, perception of some sense organs is disturbed.