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Drug Details

LEDERSPAN 20 mg

• Drug Class Description
  Glucocorticoids (corticosteroids, steroids).
• Generic Name
  Triamcinolone Note: Wyeth Laboratories has announced that it is experiencing difficulties obtaining the raw materials required to manufacture Lederspan Injection 20mg/1mL. It anticipates that stocks will be available intermittently for the remainder of 2
• Presentation
  Lederspan (intra-articular): Triamcinolone hexacetonide 20 mg /mL (20mg and 100mg vials). Lederspan (intra-lesional): Triamcinolone hexacetonide 5 mg / mL (25mg vials).
• Description
  Vials.
• Indications
  Lederspan Vials (20mg/mL): Intra- articular and synovial use in arthritis, bursitis, tendinitis. Lederspan Vials (5mg/mL): Intra- and sub-lesional use in various skin conditions.
• Adult Dosage
  

  Lederspan Vials: 2 - 30 mg according to joint size (or according to joint size (or synovial space) and condition, at intervals of not less than three to four weeks. Lederspan 5 mg Vials: 0.5 mg or less per square inch of affected skin. See literature.

• Contra Indications
  Systemic infections unless specific anti-infective therapy is used.
• Special Precautions
  

  Tuberculosis, viral, fungal or active infections, latent or active amoebiasis. Warn patients to avoid contact with chickenpox or herpes zoster while they are receiving steroids and for 3 months post-treatment. In the event of exposure to chickenpox, non-immunised patients should receive varicella-zoster immunoglobulin ideally within 3 days and not later than 10 days from the time of contact.

  Patients diagnosed with chickenpox should be referred for specialist care. Recent intestinal anastomoses, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, active or latent peptic ulcer, thrombophlebitis, psychoses, exanthematous disease, chronic nephritis, acute glomerulonephritis, renal insufficiency, liver failure, cirrhosis, metastatic carcinoma, osteoporosis, hypertension, congestive heart failure, recent MI, glaucoma, epilepsy, diabetes, hypothyroidism, ocular herpes simplex, myasthenia gravis, previous steroid myopathy, cerebral malaria.

  Limit use in children. Elderly. Pregnancy, lactation. Stress, intercurrent illness, trauma or surgical procedures; monitor patients to avoid life-threatening reactions, (including babies of women who have received large doses of steroids). Use for the shortest length of time at the lowest effective dose, review regularly. Administration in the morning or, if possible, on alternate days helps to reduce risk of adrenal suppression. Advise patient to carry "steroid treatment card". gradual in patients who have received systemic steroids for more than 3 weeks, or who have taken high doses or repeat courses, or who have repeatedly taken doses in the evening.

  In some patients treated for less than 3 weeks, withdrawal may be abrupt if the disease is unlikely to relapse or if high or repeated doses have not been given; reinstate if stressed.

• Adverse Drug Reactions
  

  Local atrophy, burning, flushing, swelling, abscess, skin discolouration or depigmentation. Rarely anaphylaxis. Depending on steroid, dose and length of treatment, both glucocorticoid and mineralocoticoid adverse effects may be seen. These include suppression of growth in children, hypertension, water retention, potassium loss, muscle weakness, aseptic necrosis of femoral and humeral heads, cushingoid changes, hyperglycaemia, osteoporosis, depression, euphoria, peptic ulceration, posterior subcapsular cataracts, impaired wound healing, skin thinning.