Do Short Oral Corticosteroid Bursts Have Adverse Effects?

A short course of oral corticosteroids was associated with significantly increased risks for gastrointestinal bleeding, pneumonia, and sepsis in the 5 to 30 days after treatment.

Unlike with chronic corticosteroid therapy, short bursts of oral corticosteroids in children have not been associated with adverse effects, but few data have been available. To examine a possible association, researchers reviewed health records of 1,064,587 Taiwanese children (mean age, 9.7 years) who received a single burst of corticosteroids (median treatment duration, 3 days), assessing risks for gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, pneumonia, sepsis, and glaucoma after treatment.

Fewer than 10% of participants had comorbidities. The median corticosteroid dose was 6 mg/day (in prednisone-equivalent doses); the most common prescribing indications were acute respiratory tract infections, asthma, and allergic diseases. In self-controlled analyses…

Reviewing Author

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

Do Short Oral Corticosteroid Bursts Have Adverse Effects?

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Reviewing Author