RT Book, Section
A1 Miller, Walter L.
A2 Rudolph, Colin D.
A2 Rudolph, Abraham M.
A2 Lister, George E.
A2 First, Lewis R.
A2 Gershon, Anne A.
SR Print(0)
ID 7054180
T1 Chapter 536. Glucocorticoid Therapy and Withdrawal
T2 Rudolph's Pediatrics, 22e
YR 2011
FD 2011
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0-07-149723-7
LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=7054180
RD 2024/04/19
AB Glucocorticoids  are  used  in  adrenal  replacement  therapy  when  adrenal  insufficiency  occurs,  or  as  pharmacologic  agents.  Following  withdrawal  of  glucocorticoids  used  for  pharmacologic  therapy  adrenal  insufficiency  can  persist  for  months,  especially  during  times  of  stress.  The  only  differences  among  the  various  glucocorticoids  are  their  ratio  of  glucocorticoid  to  mineralocorticoid  activity,  their  capacity  to  bind  to  various  binding  proteins,  their  molar  potency,  and  their  biologic  half  life.  Dexamethasone  is  commonly  used  in  reducing  increased  intracranial  pressure  and  brain  edema.  Neurosurgical  experience  indicates  that  the  optimal  doses  are  10  to  100  times  those  that  would  thoroughly  saturate  all  available  glucocorticoid  receptors,  suggesting  that  this  action  of  dexamethasone  may  not  be  mediated  through  the  glucocorticoid  receptor.