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Palliative cancer care - dyspnoea - Management
When should corticosteroids be considered?
- Initiation of a corticosteroid (e.g. dexamethasone) in primary care may be necessary in emergency situations involving airway obstruction (see Managing dyspnoea of known cause), but in other situations it should ideally be done only by, or on the advice of, a specialist.
- However, if specialist advice is not available when needed, the decision should be based on the cause of the breathlessness, the likelihood of benefit, and the risk of adverse effects. Local guidelines should be followed, the person should be closely monitored, and specialist advice should be sought as soon as possible with early review by a specialist.
Basis for recommendation
- This recommendation is pragmatic advice, based on expert opinion from medical and palliative care specialists.
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