What is a potential adverse effect of short courses of dexamethasone in palliative care?

Study for ELNEC 4: Symptom Management in Palliative Care Test with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Hints and explanations included! Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

What is a potential adverse effect of short courses of dexamethasone in palliative care?

Dexamethasone, even given for a short course, can raise blood glucose. As a potent glucocorticoid, it stimulates hepatic gluconeogenesis and reduces peripheral glucose uptake, causing hyperglycemia. This is especially important to watch in patients with diabetes or prediabetes, but it can occur in others as well. Hyponatremia isn’t a expected effect of this drug and hypoglycemia would be the opposite of what steroids typically cause. Hypokalemia is not a common direct effect of dexamethasone since it has minimal mineralocorticoid activity. So, hyperglycemia is the adverse effect most likely to be seen with short courses of dexamethasone in palliative care.

Dexamethasone, even given for a short course, can raise blood glucose. As a potent glucocorticoid, it stimulates hepatic gluconeogenesis and reduces peripheral glucose uptake, causing hyperglycemia. This is especially important to watch in patients with diabetes or prediabetes, but it can occur in others as well. Hyponatremia isn’t a expected effect of this drug and hypoglycemia would be the opposite of what steroids typically cause. Hypokalemia is not a common direct effect of dexamethasone since it has minimal mineralocorticoid activity. So, hyperglycemia is the adverse effect most likely to be seen with short courses of dexamethasone in palliative care.

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