Methylprednisolone
Class:
Steroid.
Actions:
Anti-inflammatory, suppresses immune response (especially in allergic
reactions).
Indications:
Severe anaphylaxis, asthma/COPD, possibly effective as an adjunctive agent in
the management of spinal cord injury.
Contraindications:
None in the emergency setting.
Precautions:
Must be reconstituted and used promptly. Onset of action may be 2-6 hours and
thus should not be expected to be of use in the critical first hour following an
anaphylactic reaction.
Side Effects:
GI bleeding, prolonged wound healing, suppression of natural steroids.
Dosage:
General usage: 125-250 mg.
Spinal cord injury:
Initial bolus of 30 mg/kg administered over 15 minutes, followed by a
maintenance infusion of 5.4 mg/kg/hr.
Routes:
IV, IM.
Pediatric Dosage:
30 µg/kg.
Note: Feel free to discuss this medication and your experiences in administering it in an emergency or hospital based setting on our message board