11.4.1 Corticosteroids

General Guidance
 

• Corticosteroids administered locally or systemically have an important role to play in the treatment of anterior segment inflammation.
• Topical corticosteroids should usually only be used under expert supervision.
• Use in “red eye” with unconfirmed diagnosis is potentially hazardous since this may be due to herpes simplex virus infection in which case corticosteroid would aggravate the condition and could result in corneal ulceration. Bacterial, fungal and amoebic causes pose similar risks.
• Prolonged use may lead to cataract formation.
• A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drop preparation may be useful if the intraocular pressure is raised.

Recommended drugs

Betamethasone

Dexamethasone

Prednisolone

Prednisolone 5mg Soluble Tablets (reintroduced on childrens wards, preferred over crushing tablets)

Diclofenac eyes drops

Drug Traffic Light Key:

Green – On Formulary

Amber – Restricted use, see local guidelines      

Purple – Specialist use/initiation

Red – Non Formulary

Relative Costs Key (where indicated):

£££££ - high

£££ - moderate

£ - low