Medication 7-844 - Solu-Medrol (Methylprednisolone)

Polk, Hickory, Cedar, & St Clair EMS Protocols

Scope of Practice:

• Registered Nurse
• Paramedic
• Community Paramedic

Route(s):

• IM/SQ, IO, IV,

Pharmacodynamics (class and mechanism of action):

• Corticosteroid. (Anti-inflammatory. Immune suppressant.)

Pharmacokinetics:

• Half-life: 18-36 hours.
• Onset time: 2-5 hours.
• Peak action time: Immediate.
• Duration of action: 1 week.

• Peak	17	34	51	68	85	102	119	136	153	170	hours
  Duration	17	34	51	68	85	102	119	136	153	170	hours

Dosing:

• Refer to specific protocol(s) below for dose(s).

Indications:

• Protocol 2-066 - Allergic Reaction.
• Protocol 2-770 - Respiratory Distress.

Contraindications:

• None in emergency setting.

Pregnancy Risk Factor:

• Category C
• Risk not ruled out: Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks. FDA requires a relatively large amount of high-quality data on a pharmaceutical for it to be defined as Pregnancy Category A. As a result of this, many drugs that would be considered Pregnancy Category A in other countries are allocated to Category C by the FDA.

Potential Incompatibilities:

• None.

Precautions and Adverse Effects:

• Must be reconstituted and used properly.
• Use caution with Cushing’s syndrome, fungal infection, measles, varicella, active Infections, renal disease, penetrating Spinal Cord Injury, Hypertension, Seizure, and CHF.
• May cause GI bleeding, prolonged wound healing, suppression of natural steroids, Depression, Euphoria, headache, restlessness, Hypertension, Bradycardia, Nausea, Vomiting, swelling, diarrhea, and/or weakness.

Antidote:

• None.

Controlled Substance Information:

• Not a scheduled drug
• The DEA and FDA have not identified this drug with a schedule classification.
• DEA number: NA.
• Narcotic: No.
• Street names: NA.

CMH PHS Mission: "Provide safe, exceptional, and compassionate care to our communities with an emphasis on highly trained and empowered staff."

Polk, Hickory, Cedar, & St Clair County EMS Protocols by Theron Becker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.