Abstract
Steroids, in the form of glucocorticoids, are often used in the management of inflammatory arthritis patients. They exert anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects via a range of different mechanisms, with the end-effect being a reduction in disease activity. They are often given intramuscularly in the form of methylprednisolone (depomedrone) during the early stages of arthritis when disease activity is high or during flares of the disease. Long-term low-dose oral steroids, in the form of prednisolone, are used, although this is becoming less common in the biologic era. Although often effective at reducing arthritis activity and preventing erosive progression, their use is restricted by their broad range of side-effects. In this chapter we will discuss the different types and methods of steroid administration in inflammatory arthritis patients, the evidence supporting their use and their side-effects.
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Scott, I.C., Galloway, J.B., Scott, D.L. (2015). Steroids. In: Inflammatory Arthritis in Clinical Practice. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6648-1_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6648-1_10
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