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Oral cortisone/ steroid medication

Prednisone, Prednisolone, Sone, Solone, Panafcorte, Panafcortelone, Dexamethasone The main message is that you should follow instructions on taking this medication carefully. If in doubt ring your doctor or pharmacist for advice. These tablets are commonly known as "cortisone" or Steroids. They come in different strengths, and the dosage is usually once daily. Often the dose requires gradual reduction before stopping . (The exception is when the duration of treatment is 3 or 4 days only or less) Steroids/cortisone are often used to treat asthma, allergy, and rarer diseases eg, polymyalgia, temporal arteritis, some forms of arthritis, as well as other conditions such as pressure on the brain, sarcoidosis (a lung disease) and some forms of leukaemia and cancer. Long term use is avoided whenever possible due to well-known side effects which almost always occur: Weight Gain, Osteoporosis (weak bones that break or cause a hunched appearance), Stretch Marks, Bruis

End of Life Decisions

When you see your doctor, or get admitted to hospital, the topic of end of life decisions may be brought up. I am a country GP with many years of experience including emergency resuscitation, and I want to describe my understanding of what you are being asked. In a nutshell, you are being asked, “ If your condition suddenly deteriorates and you require emergency treatment to try and save your life, do you want us to do everything we can, or should we allow you to die?” No matter what is wrong with you, you are free to say that you would like full resuscitation measures to be taken should you suffer an arrest. The severe emergency treatments we are talking about are mainly CPR (chest compression/cardiac massage) DC shock (electric shock to the heart) Emergency Intravenous fluid and medication (e.g. adrenaline) Ventilation (Mouth to mouth or an apparatus/machine to do the same) Intubation (a tube placed in the trachea through which a machine can breathe for you). T