Betamethasone

• IM (Adults ): 0.5–9 mg as betamethasone sodium phosphate/acetate suspension. Prevention of respiratory distress syndrome in newborn: 12 mg once daily for 2–3 days before delivery (unlabeled).
• IM (Children ): Adrenocortical insufficiency: 17.5 mcg/kg/day (500 mcg/m²/day) in 3 divided doses every 3rd day or 5.8–8.75 mcg/kg (166–250 mcg/m²)/day as a single dose.

Budesonide

• PO (Adults ): Active Crohn disease: 9 mg once daily in the morning for up to 8 wk; may repeat 8-wk course for recurring episodes. Maintenance of remission of Crohn disease: 6 mg once daily for up to 3 mo; once symptoms are controlled, taper to complete cessation; Induction of remission of ulcerative colitis: 9 mg once daily for up to 8 wk; once symptoms are controlled, taper to complete cessation; Reduction in proteinuria associated with primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy: 16 mg once daily in the morning for 9 mo, then 8 mg once daily in the morning for 2 wk.
• PO (Children 8–17 yr and >25 kg): Active Crohn disease: 9 mg once daily in the morning for up to 8 wk, then 6 mg once daily in the morning for 2 wk.

Hepatic Impairment

• (Adults ): Moderate hepatic impairment: 3 mg once daily in the morning.

Dexamethasone

• PO IM IV (Adults ): Anti-inflammatory: 0.75–9 mg/day divided every 6–12 hr. Airway edema or extubation: 0.5–2 mg/kg/day divided every 6 hr; begin 24 hr prior to extubation and continue for 24 hr postextubation. Cerebral edema: 10 mg IV initially, then 4 mg IM or IV every 6 hr until maximal response achieved; then switch to PO regimen and taper over 5–7 days.
• PO IM IV (Children ): Airway edema or extubation: 0.5–2 mg/kg/day divided every 6 hr; begin 24 hr prior to extubation and continue for 24 hr postextubation. Anti-inflammatory: 0.08–0.3 mg/kg/day or 2.5–10 mg/m²/day divided every 6–12 hr. Physiologic replacement: 0.03–0.15 mg/kg/day or 0.6–0.75 mg/m²/day divided every 6–12 hr.
• PO (Adults ): Suppression test: 1 mg at 11 pm or 0.5 mg every 6 hr for 48 hr. Multiple myeloma: 20–40 mg once daily on specific days (based on protocol being used).
• IV (Children ): Chemotherapy-induced emesis: 5–20 mg given 15–30 min before treatment; Cerebral edema: Loading dose of 1–2 mg/kg followed by 1–1.5 mg/kg/day divided every 4–6 hr for 5 days (not to exceed 16 mg/day); then taper over 1–6 wk; Bacterial meningitis: 0.6 mg/kg/day divided every 6 hr for 4 days (start at time of 1st antibiotic dose).
• IV PO (Adults ): Chemotherapy-induced emesis: 10–20 mg given 15–30 min before each treatment or 10 mg every 12 hr on each treatment day; Delayed nausea/vomiting: 4–10 mg PO 1–2 times/day for 2–4 days or 8 mg PO every 12 hr for 2 days, then 4 mg PO every 12 hr for 2 days or 20 mg PO 1 hr before chemotherapy, then 10 mg PO every 12 hr after chemotherapy, then 8 mg PO every 12 hr for 2 days, then 4 mg PO every 12 hr for 2 days.
• IS (Adults ): 0.4–6 mg/day.

Hydrocortisone

• PO (Adults ): 20–240 mg/day in 1–4 divided doses.
• PO (Children ): Adrenocortical insufficiency/replacement therapy: 8–10 mg/m²/day in 2–3 divided doses; Anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive: 2.5–10 mg/kg/day or 75–300 mg/m²/day in 3–4 divided doses.
• IM IV (Adults ): 100–500 mg every 2–6 hr (range 100–8000 mg/day).
• IM IV (Children ): Adrenocortical insufficiency: 0.186–0.28 mg/kg/day (10–12 mg/m²/day) in 3 divided doses. Other uses: 0.666–4 mg/kg (20–120 mg/m²) every 12–24 hr.
• Rect (Adults ): Retention enema: 100 mg nightly for 21 days or until remission occurs.

Methylprednisolone

• PO (Adults ): Multiple sclerosis: 160 mg/day for 7 days, then 64 mg every other day for 1 mo. Other uses: 2–60 mg/day as a single dose or in 2–4 divided doses. Asthma exacerbations: 120–180 mg/day in divided doses 3–4 times/day for 48 hr, then 60–80 mg/day in 2 divided doses.
• PO (Children ): Anti-inflammatory/Immunosuppressive: 0.5–1.7 mg/kg/day (5–25 mg/m²/day) in divided doses every 6–12 hr. Asthma exacerbations: 1 mg/kg every 6 hr for 48 hr, then 1–2 mg/kg/day (maximum: 60 mg/day) divided twice daily.
• IM IV (Adults ): Most uses: methylprednisolone sodium succinate: 40–250 mg every 4–6 hr. High-dose “pulse” therapy (methylprednisolone sodium succinate): 30 mg/kg IV every 4–6 hr for up to 72 hr. Status asthmaticus (methylprednisolone sodium succinate): 2 mg/kg IV, then 0.5–1 mg/kg IV every 6 hr for up to 5 days. Multiple sclerosis (methylprednisolone sodium succinate): 160 mg/day for 7 days, then 64 mg every other day for 1 mo. Adjunctive therapy of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in patients with AIDS (methylprednisolone sodium succinate): 30 mg twice daily for 5 days, then 30 mg once daily for 5 days, then 15 mg once daily for 10 days. Acute spinal cord injury (methylprednisolone sodium succinate): 30 mg/kg IV over 15 min initially, followed in 45 min with a continuous infusion of 5.4 mg/kg/hr for 23 hr (unlabeled).
• IM IV (Children ): Anti-inflammatory/Immunosuppressive: 0.5–1.7 mg/kg/day (5–25 mg/m²/day) in divided doses every 6–12 hr. Acute spinal cord injury (methylprednisolone sodium succinate): 30 mg/kg IV over 15 min initially, followed in 45 min with a continuous infusion of 5.4 mg/kg/hr for 23 hr (unlabeled). Status asthmaticus: 2 mg/kg IV, then 0.5–1 mg/kg IV every 6 hr. Lupus nephritis: 30 mg/kg IV every other day for 6 doses.
• IM (Adults ): Methylprednisolone acetate: 40–120 mg daily, weekly, or every 2 wk.

Prednisolone

• PO (Adults ): Most uses: 5–60 mg/day as a single dose or in divided doses. Multiple sclerosis: 200 mg/day for 7 days, then 80 mg every other day for 1 mo. Asthma exacerbations: 120–180 mg/day in divided doses 3–4 times/day for 48 hr, then 60–80 mg/day in 2 divided doses.
• PO (Children ): Anti-inflammatory/Immunosuppressive: 0.1–2 mg/kg/day in 1–4 divided doses; Nephrotic syndrome: 2 mg/kg/day (60 mg/m²/day) in 1–3 divided doses daily (maximum dose: 80 mg/day) until urine is protein-free for 4–6 wk, followed by 2 mg/kg/dose (40 mg/m²/dose) every other day in the morning; gradually taper off over 4–6 wk; Asthma exacerbations: 1 mg/kg every 6 hr for 48 hr, then 1–2 mg/kg/day (maximum: 60 mg/day) divided twice daily.

Prednisone

• PO (Adults ): Most uses: 5–60 mg/day as a single dose or in divided doses (delayed-release tablets should be administered once daily). Multiple sclerosis: 200 mg/day for 1 wk; then 80 mg every other day for 1 mo. Adjunctive therapy of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in patients with AIDS: 40 mg twice daily for 5 days; then 40 mg once daily for 5 days; then 20 mg once daily for 10 days.
• PO (Children ): Nephrotic syndrome: 2 mg/kg/day initially given in 1–3 divided doses (maximum 80 mg/day; delayed-release tablets should be administered once daily) until urine is protein-free for 4–6 wk. Maintenance dose of 2 mg/kg/day every other day in the morning; gradually taper off after 4–6 wk. Asthma exacerbation: 1 mg/kg every 6 hr for 48 hr; then 1–2 mg/kg/day (maximum 60 mg/day) in divided doses twice daily.

Triamcinolone

• IM (Adults ): Triamcinolone acetonide: 40–80 mg every 4 wk.
• Intra-articular(Adults ): Triamcinolone hexacetonide: 2–20 mg every 3–4 wk (dose depends on size of joint to be injected, amount of inflammation, and amount of fluid present); Triamcinolone acetonide: 32 mg as a single dose into the knee joint.
• IM (Children ): Triamcinolone acetonide: 40 mg every 4 wk or 30–200 mcg/kg (1–6.25 mg/m²) every 1–7 days.