Uso de Corticoides en Laringitis Obstructiva en nuestro medio.

Corfio, María P.; Budnik, Isolda O.; Ojeda, Sabina W.; Damm, Constanza A.; Fernández, Manuel V.

Obstructive Laryngitis (croup) is the acute inflammation of the larynx and the seriousness of the illness is linked to the obstruction degree of the aerial passage. There is a general assent in giving a single, oral dose of 0.15 to 0.6 mg/kg of dexamethasone for treating moderate and severe croup. The aim of our study was to describe the croup treatment in our setting and also to investigate when and which corticosteroids are used. A total of seventy-two (n=72) paediatrician were interviewed; 31% uses corticosteroids when facing a mild croup. Oral betamethasone, with a wide dose dispersion and frequency, is mostly used by the pediatricians. 97.2% uses corticosteroids when treating a mild croup; intravenous dexamethasone is used by 74.3%. 95.8% uses corticosteroids when treating severe croup; intravenous dexamethasone is also used in 76.8% of the cases. It was found that there was no application of the regulations proposed by the literature for the use of corticosteroids in croup. The reason is that oral dexamethasone is not available in Chile yet and that the equivalent dose of betamethasone, having pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties is not known either. Owing to this fact, it is necessary to carry out a research to compare the treatment in the proposed literature with another corticosteroid available in Chile, like oral betamethasone, for example, so as to establish a standard regulation in using corticosteroid croup in Chile.

CHILE; ADRENOCORTICAL hormones; HORMONE therapy; CROUP; LARYNGITIS; DEXAMETHASONE; PHARMACOKINETICS; PHARMACODYNAMICS; THERAPEUTICS

Revista ANACEM, 2008, Vol 2, Issue 1, p17

0718-5308

Academic Journal