Our LOVE – HATE RELATIONSHIP with Cortico-Steroids is the Blog Theme for today.
Over the last 3-4 decades of our evolutionary journey as Medical Practitioners, we have undergone a ” SEA CHANGE ” in our usage of Cortico-Steroids as an armamentum to heal our patients. The PLOTTED GRAPH of Steroid Usage Indications in Modern Medicine is constantly INCLINED UPWARDS .
Starting with a HATE trend for a Steroid Prescription by our local colleagues, we have now developed ( more so, in the last decade ) a GREED-BASED FASCINATION ………………..for this unfortunate victim of our whims directed towards IRRATIONAL Medications in general and CORTICO-STEROIDS in particular. We have, historically speaking, made such judgemental errors in gauging the inherent value of Cortico-Steroids in Pharmaco – Therapeutics and later realized HOW they are the best and preferred LIFE-SAVERS in our Intensive Care scenarios and COVID CARE CENTERS.
A couple of decades ago, we, as Doctors were bogged down 🙃👎🏻🙁 by the POTENTIAL and PLURAL SIDE EFFECTS of Cortico-Steroids like Growth Stunting, Moon facies, Immune Suppression etc. This proverbial TABOO of towing exclusive RATIONAL THERAPY is now totally replaced by JUDICIOUS and TIMELY DEPLOYMENT of Cortico-Steroids in Asthma Management and in worsening COVID complications.
One more area, where Steroids are the ONLY PANACEA are the AUTO – IMMUNE DISORDERS, which can RUN AMOCK and CAUSE HAVOC , if this Taboo of withholding Steroids is not thrown out of the Window.
- The FIRST LANDMARK in endorsing our conceptual STEROID BENEFITS PERSPECTIVE amongst Medical Professionals , came with the revised Management Approach to Asthma. We discovered that Inhaled Steroids are of immense value here and they are LIFESTYLE MANAGERS for millions of Asthmatics 🤧🥱🤕
- The SECOND LANDMARK emerged with the COLLAGEN and CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISORDERS like SLE, JIA and Vasculitis Syndromes like HS PURPURA.
- The THIRD LANDMARK emerged with these miscellaneous disorders : Nephrotic Syndrome, Croup , Chronic Hepatitis, Ulcerative Colitis , TB MENINGITIS ( + severe IRIS and CNS Tuberculomas with Raised ICT ), Thyroid Storm, IBD and at the top of all these – I.T.Purpura .
- The FOURTH and RECENT LANDMARK for STEROID USAGE emerged with the COVID 19 PANDEMIC . 😷😷😷 STEROIDS like Dexamethasone became household names, wherever their own relatives were stuck with devastating Covid complications and impending Death.
Cortico-Steroids are basically the essential hormones of the human body, that pop up and keep us safe in critical situations. But, surprisingly, when administered as a Prescription Drug, we used to carry a biased opinion. I fail to understand : How can hormones produced by the human body, or their synthetic analogues, be labelled as TOXIC or TARGETS of hate.
Long – standing HYPOTHESES on various Chronic, Recurrent and Acute illnesses have been revisited and revised , over the last few decades. STEROIDS have emerged as the PANACEA for Disease Modification Strategies and have been The Life Saving Emergency Interventions .
To sum up and conclude , MODERN MEDICINE has never endorsed any PERMANENT TRUTHS and FINAL SOLUTIONS for any ailment , be it ASTHMA, AUTO-IMMUNE DISORDERS or COVID INFECTIONS.
CORTICO-STEROIDS have lately put their final undisputed STAMP OF AUTHORITY in the Emergency Room as well as the INTENSIVE CARE UNITS.
Blog Concept ( based on Personal Experiences over 40 yrs )