This instruction piece has been developed by Irene Mitchelhill, CNC in Paediatric Endocrinology at SCH. NHS Foundation Trust. If you do not have a copy of the manufacturer’s patient information leaflet please talk to your pharmacist. He saved my life! Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. Hydrocortisone injection is used in the management of multiple sclerosis (a disease in which the nerves do not function properly), lupus (a disease in which the body attacks many of its own organs), gastrointestinal disease, and certain types of arthritis. Hold the skin like this: Put the needle under the skin at this angle. Injections are also used to treat painful tendons and bursitis. Use the same instructions for injection under the skin of the thigh or other part of the body. ", How to Give an Emergency Injection of Hydrocortisone. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional. vomit that looks like coffee grounds. per dose 100 mg), alternatively 25 mg every 6 hours until conversion to oral prednisolone is possible, dose given, preferably, as sodium succinate. Download My Cortisol poster (.pdf) (3.3 MB), Download Solu cortef F1783 A5 col FINAL Apr15_0.pdf (.pdf) (0 bytes), Download 15F0410 pack for cortisol A4 bw Solu cortef.pdf (.pdf) (0 bytes). wikiHow's. In an emergency, medical staff may give higher dose hydrocortisone injections to treat severe asthma, allergic reactions, severe shock due to injury or infection, or failure of the adrenal glands. Double check your measurements and how much hydrocortisone you're getting. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. Hydrocortisone is usually given by injection if you are unable to take the medicine by mouth. This information sheet from Great Ormond Street Hospital explains how to give an emergency injection of hydrocortisone sodium succinate, How to give an emergency injection of hydrocortisone sodium succinate (.pdf) (0 bytes). Giving the Solu-Cortef injection can save your child’s life. 8. A patient is to receive an injection of gentamicin 60 mg. Giving an injection of hydrocortisone l The injection should be given in the outer side of the upper leg. Wash your hands. However, if you are concerned about any conflicts of information, please discuss with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. Older Children – Explain what you are going to do and why. This is when your blood pressure drops very low. Hydrocortisone injections come as a powder to be mixed with liquid diluent. They are too slow acting to do any good. Infants and Toddlers – Hold your child firmly between your elbow and body. This is a inter-muscular injection so you do not need to look for a vein or anything other than a muscular part of the thigh or upper arm. Doses may also be given via IM inj but the response may be slower. IM injection site (shaded area) Insert needle at a 90° angle into the anterolateral thigh muscle. The usual dose for hydrocortisone is 15-20mg by mouth, split over two or three times daily, and depending on your individual endocrinologist’s recommendations. 6. Adult: 100-500 mg 3-4 times/24 hr according to the severity of the condition and patient response. Clean the skin at that spot with an alcohol wipe. What volume is needed to give 800 units? This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. You will also receive instructions on when to give the dose. For children over the age of five years, and for adults, the dose is usually 100mg hydrocortisone. In other countries it is issued as a rubber-stoppered bottle containing the powder, and a separate water ampoule. Your health care provider will give you step-by-step instructions on how to mix and administer the injection. The department of Endocrinology in collaboration with the Child and Family Information Group. 4 mg/kg every 6 hours (max. Your doctor will need to check your progress on a regular basis. The most common hydrocortisone injectable drugs for steroid-dependence are hydrocortisone sodium phosphate and hydrocortisone sodium succinate. 2. For instructions on giving intramuscular injections of hydrocortisone, please see the enclosed leaflet How to give an emergency injection of hydrocortisone sodium phosphate 100mg/ml: Information for families. Hydrocortisone injections are used to treat swollen and painful joints in people with injuries and arthritis. Adrenal gland conditions: hydrocortisone tablets . as hydrocortisone. Hydrocortisone; How to give an emergency injection of Hydrocortisone; How to give an emergency injection of Hydrocortisone Administering an emergency HC injection: When you are prescribed an emergency injection, you should also be given the appropriate equipment (needles, sharps box etc.) Dry them. It is also used to treat severe allergic reactions. London WC1N 3JH, © 2021, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children • if you have a bacterial infection (e.g. For children in particular, there may be conflicts of information between the manufacturer’s patient information leaflet (PIL) and guidance provided by GOSH and other healthcare providers. An injection containing 100mg Hydrocortisone is available for emergency situations for those on hydrocortisone or prednisolone. This article has been viewed 24,156 times. Great Ormond Street I will now show you the steps for mixing and giving a dose of Solu-Cortef. For children, there are lower dose emergency injections available. Wash your hands well with soap and water. See the diagram. A copy of these sick day protocols should also be shared with your child’s school. 2. When this happens, you will have to give yourself an emergency injection … cold sores ‘herpes simplex’, chicken pox) or fungal infection (e.g. How to give an injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection) Grab the fatty part on the underside of the upper arm. Hydrocortisone containing Benzyl Alcohol (Act-O-Vials) is contraindicated in premature infants. Your doctor will need to check your progress on a regular basis. This does not mean that it is unsafe for children and young people to be prescribed such a medicine ‘off-licence/off-label’. Older medicines may have been used effectively for many years in children without problems but the manufacturer has not been required to collect data and amend the licence. You may also swaddle your child, leaving the injection site exposed. -Hydrocortisone or cortisone acetate (in combination with fludrocortisone) are the preferred glucocorticoids for the treatment of primary adrenal insufficiency; prednisone or prednisolone may be considered in patients with reduced compliance, however longer acting glucocorticoids are not recommended due to the difficulty in dose titration and risk of Cushingoid side effects. Hydrocortisone is usually given by injection if you are unable to take the medicine by mouth. Resume oral therapy once injections are stopped. Hold the bottle of hydrocortisone and tap the top of it. This information sheet from Great Ormond Street Hospital explains how to give an emergency injection of hydrocortisone sodium succinate. Question 8. Open the glass vial Remember the dot is the weakest point. Please read this information sheet from GOSH alongside the patient information leaflet (PIL) provided by the manufacturer. Gather your supplies. impetigo), viral infection (e.g. If you have been issued with separate power and water, you will need to prepare the medication. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. Hydrocortisone injection is also … Following the initial emergency period, consideration should be given to employing a longer-acting injectable preparation or an oral preparation. Hydrocortisone injections are only available on prescription. Question 7. Question 6. 6. Before you use hydrocortisone cream Do not use Hydrocortisone Cream: • if you are allergic to hydrocortisone or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). To avoid causing an injury, do not inject … If you are making your own injection kit, you can include alcohol wipes, which are also useful to stop any bleeding afterwards. Make sure you have complete control of their leg movements. Systemic therapy in children: As a guide, infants up to 1 year may be given 25mg hydrocortisone intravenously; children 1 to 5 years, 50mg; 6 to 12 years, 100mg (1ml). Staying safe at GOSH and outside the hospital, Coming to GOSH for a day or inpatient admission, Coming to GOSH for an outpatient appointment, How to give an emergency injection of hydrocortisone sodium succinate, Download Solu cortef F1783 A5 col FINAL Apr15_0.pdf, Download 15F0410 pack for cortisol A4 bw Solu cortef.pdf, Digital Research, Informatics and Virtual Environments, Tel: 020 7405 9200 and ask for the endocrine registrar on call (24 hours). You will need: a Solu-Cortef Act-O-Vial (this is also called hydrocortisone), a syringe with needle, alcohol pads, and a cotton ball. 7. A healthcare provider will give you this injection. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. You can read more about the symptoms of adrenal crisis and what you should do in the emergency section of our website. Hydrocortisone is a prescription drug. A few products do not have a marketing authorisation (licence) as a medicine and therefore there is no PIL. Fluids and electrolytes should be administered as needed to correct any metabolic disorder. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. I have blue and green needles. Hydrocortisone is injected into a muscle, or given as an infusion into a vein. When you get sick, your doctor will recommend that you double or triple your daily hydrocortisone dose for 3 days until you feel better. Take the cap off the needle. References. l Divide the thigh into 3 parts between the hip and knee. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. For example, some manufacturers may recommend, in the patient information leaflet, that a medicine is not given to children aged under 12 years. But with the arrival of COVID-19, the stakes are higher than ever. When to give an emergency injection. trouble concentrating. Let it dry. Hydrocortisone injection is used to treat symptoms of low corticosteroid levels (lack of certain substances that are usually produced by the body and are needed for normal body functioning). Intravenous Acute adrenocortical insufficiency. tiredness. How to give the injection. After having (or giving) an injection with Solu-Cortef it is always necessary to get in touch with the treating physician or the internal medicine specialist or endocrinologist on duty. Every dollar contributed enables us to keep providing high-quality how-to help to people like you. We've been helping billions of people around the world continue to learn, adapt, grow, and thrive for over a decade. For further information, please refer to the Solu-Cortef Consumer Medicine Information. What volume of drug should be drawn up? For Child 2–4 years. By using our site, you agree to our. Find out more about hydrocortisone injections. In most cases, this is because the manufacturer will recruit adults to clinical trials in the first instance and therefore the initial marketing authorisation (licence) only covers adults and older children. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If you have shorter, orange needles, which are usually for use in diabetes, it is best to inject in the upper arm. 1. unusual weight loss. Carefully find the spot where you will give the injection. Which do I use? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i44M0xy54Oc&t=15s, https://www.addisonsdisease.org.uk/the-emergency-injection-for-the-treatment-of-adrenal-crisis, http://www.addisons.org.uk/forum/index.php?/videos/category-2-emergency-injection-videos/, Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. This video provides step-by-step instructions on how to administer Solu-Cortef emergency injection (hydrocortisone injection), also called a "stress dose." Anyone who is steroid-dependent can experience a rapid deterioration in their health if they encounter a gastric infection, especially where this involves a fever. They help to reduce pain and swelling (inflammation). l Stretch the skin between your thumb and forefinger. We never practiced before that day! By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. My husband is 78. This also applies if your GP has given the Solu-Cortef injection. Acetate-based hydrocortisone injection preparations such as Cortistab® are for joint injections only and should be avoided.