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Dermatology

Glucocorticoids

Built from Dermatology, 5th Edition

The first 25 slides of Glucocorticoids
The first 25 slides, exactly as they appear. The full deck has 115 content slides.

What’s inside

11 sections · 115 slides

  1. 01

    Overview

    • Scope of this topic

    1 slide

  2. 02

    History and Basic Pharmacology

    From the 1950 Nobel Prize to the chemistry that makes a glucocorticoid active

    • History of glucocorticoid use in medicine
    • Basic chemical structure of glucocorticoids
    • Chemical structure of cortisol (hydrocortisone)
    • Active drugs need a hydroxyl group, not a ketone
    • What the pharmacology table compares
    • Pharmacology of systemic glucocorticoids (GCs).
    • Duration of action shapes drug choice
    • Oral absorption and plasma protein binding

    8 slides

  3. 03

    HPA Axis and Molecular Mechanism

    The body's own cortisol control system, and how the drug switches genes on and off

    • What the HPA axis is
    • Three ways cortisol production is controlled
    • Free glucocorticoid enters the cell
    • Mechanisms of glucocorticoid action
    • How glucocorticoids switch genes on and off
    • What glucocorticoids shut down in inflammation
    • Anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids.
    • Effects on white blood cells

    8 slides

  4. 04

    Routes of Administration in Dermatology

    Choosing oral, intramuscular, intravenous, topical, or intralesional therapy

    • Major dermatologic uses of systemic glucocorticoids
    • Major uses of systemic glucocorticoids in dermatology.
    • Major uses of systemic glucocorticoids in dermatology. (continued)
    • Oral therapy - dosing basics
    • Split dosing and drug choice for oral therapy
    • Intramuscular glucocorticoid therapy
    • Intravenous and pulse glucocorticoid therapy
    • Topical glucocorticoid potency classes
    • Ultra high (super-potent) - WHO class 1
    • Ultra high (super-potent) - WHO class 1 (continued)
    • High potency - WHO class 2
    • High potency - WHO class 2 (continued)
    • High potency - WHO class 3
    • Moderate potency - WHO class 4
    • Moderate potency - WHO class 4 (continued)
    • Moderate potency - WHO class 5
    • Moderate potency - WHO class 5 (continued)
    • Low potency - WHO class 6
    • Low potency - WHO class 7
    • How the vehicle changes potency
    • Avoiding side effects with topical therapy
    • Ophthalmic (eye) glucocorticoid preparations
    • Ophthalmic glucocorticoids.
    • Intralesional glucocorticoid injections

    24 slides

  5. 05

    HPA Suppression, Tapering, and Contraindications

    How to dose, taper, and test the adrenal axis without harming the patient

    • How exogenous glucocorticoids suppress the HPA axis
    • Symptoms and risks of adrenal insufficiency
    • Glucocorticoid withdrawal syndrome
    • Testing the HPA axis
    • When to taper systemic glucocorticoids
    • How fast to taper, by dose range
    • Alternate-morning dosing
    • Alternate-morning glucocorticoid therapy.
    • Contraindications to glucocorticoid therapy

    9 slides

  6. 06

    Overview of Adverse Effects

    Short-term versus long-term toxicity, and who is at higher risk

    • Short-term versus long-term side effects
    • Side effects of short-term systemic glucocorticoid therapy.
    • Categories of long-term glucocorticoid toxicity
    • Major side effects of long-term systemic glucocorticoid therapy.
    • Major side effects of long-term systemic glucocorticoid therapy. (continued)
    • Major side effects of long-term systemic glucocorticoid therapy. (continued)
    • Major side effects of long-term systemic glucocorticoid therapy. (continued)
    • Patients at higher risk for glucocorticoid toxicity
    • Patients at higher risk for toxicity from glucocorticoid (GC) therapy.

    9 slides

  7. 07

    Musculoskeletal and Bone Complications

    Osteoporosis, osteonecrosis, growth suppression, and steroid myopathy

    • Osteoporosis - how common and how fast
    • Why glucocorticoids weaken bone
    • Radiograph showing severe bone demineralization
    • Diagnosing osteoporosis
    • Prevention and treatment algorithm for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis
    • Estimating osteoporotic fracture risk with long-term glucocorticoid therapy
    • Medications for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis
    • Other bone-protective drug options
    • Osteonecrosis (avascular necrosis)
    • Osteonecrosis of the femoral head
    • Diagnosing and treating osteonecrosis
    • Growth suppression in children
    • Glucocorticoid-related myopathy vs true myositis
    • Myopathy vs myositis: setting, symptoms, and labs
    • Myopathy vs myositis: EMG, MRI, and biopsy

    15 slides

  8. 08

    Eye, Metabolic, Cardiovascular, and GI Effects

    Cataracts, blood sugar and lipid changes, blood pressure, and the gut

    • Cataracts
    • Cataract in a child treated with systemic glucocorticoids
    • Metabolic effects - blood sugar and lipids
    • Other metabolic and body-composition changes
    • Cardiovascular effects
    • Gastrointestinal effects
    • Other GI effects

    7 slides

  9. 09

    Infection and Reproductive Effects

    Susceptibility to infection, vaccine timing, and pregnancy or fertility considerations

    • Increased susceptibility to infection
    • Screening for tuberculosis and Pneumocystis pneumonia
    • Vaccination precautions
    • Obstetric and gynecologic effects
    • Menstrual and fertility effects

    5 slides

  10. 10

    Neuropsychiatric and Cutaneous Effects

    Mood and cognitive change, and the skin's own visible signature of glucocorticoid use

    • Mood and cognitive effects ('steroid psychosis')
    • Risk factors and management of neuropsychiatric effects
    • Pseudotumor cerebri and seizures
    • Cutaneous effects overview
    • Extensive striae from chronic oral prednisone therapy
    • Striae in a second patient on chronic prednisone therapy
    • Cutaneous atrophy from topical glucocorticoids
    • Cutaneous atrophy from chronic topical glucocorticoid use
    • Local side effects of intralesional glucocorticoids
    • Glucocorticoid-induced acne and eruptions
    • Systemic glucocorticoid-induced acne
    • Perioral eruptions from topical and inhaled glucocorticoids
    • Topical and inhaled glucocorticoid-induced perioral eruptions
    • Hypopigmented and rosacea-like perioral eruptions from topical glucocorticoids
    • Topical steroid withdrawal ('steroid addiction')
    • Wound healing and other skin effects

    16 slides

  11. 11

    Drug Interactions and Dose Alterations

    What raises or lowers the dose a patient actually needs

    • Drugs and conditions that require a higher dose
    • Drugs and conditions that require a lower dose
    • Interactions that worsen a specific side effect
    • Effects on other drugs' dose requirements
    • Glucocorticoid (GC) therapy: dosing and side-effect considerations related to drug interactions and medical conditions.
    • Glucocorticoid (GC) therapy: dosing and side-effect considerations related to drug interactions and medical conditions. (continued)
    • Key takeaways
    • References
    • References (continued)
    • References (continued)
    • References (continued)
    • References (continued)
    • Dermatology, 5th Edition (2-Volume Set)

    13 slides