Sun14November1246PM 22

A 73-year-old man is admitted into hospital with nausea and vomiting.

He is taking 40 mg prednisolone orally in divided doses for temporal arteritis. The prescription chart needs to be modified to account for his inability to take oral medication.

What dose of intravenous hydrocortisone is equivalent to 40 mg oral prednisolone?

Reference:

British National Formulary. https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/formulary/bnf/current/6-endocrine-system/63-corticosteroids/632-glucocorticoid-therapy

(Please select 1 option)

100 mg

200 mg

80 mg

160 mg Correct

120 mg

Explanation

Prednisolone 5 mg is equivalent to hydrocortisone 20 mg.

Prednisolone 40 mg is equivalent to 8 × 20 mg = 160 mg.

These comparisons take no account of mineralocorticoid effects, nor do they take account of variations in duration of action.

Prednisolone 5 mg is equivalent to :

Cortisone acetate 25 mg

Dexamethasone 750 mcg

Hydrocortisone 20 mg

Methylprednisolone 4 mg.

Answer Statistics

1

16%

2

32%

3

5%

4

41%

5

8%

Times answered: 259