Zycortal Symposium Proceedings

Interpretation of polyuria and polydipsia in patients being treated with prednisolone and DOCP for management of hypoadrenocorticism Difficulty has been encountered when stabilising patients on DOCP and prednisolone due to the signs of polyuria and polydipsia (PU/PD). As these signs are commonly encountered with prednisolone therapy, this can lead to excessive reduction in the prednisolone dose. However it is important to note that DOCP can also cause PU/PD, most likely due to transient hypokalaemia. It is important therefore to consider the timing and onset of these signs. Prednisolone therapy causes constant PU/PD, whereas DOCP causes PU/PD more notably at around day 10 following injection. Therefore a dose reduction in DOCP should be considered, rather than a reduction in the prednisolone dose. Although experience is yet to be gained in using Zycortal, it was agreed by all delegates and specialists at the Symposium that the introduction of Zycortal to the European market has greatly improved the quality of the management of patients with typical hypoadrenocorticism. It was agreed that this preparation of DOCP was not interchangeable with Percorten-V ® , a licensed preparation of DOCP used in North America. Zycortal so far has seemed a much more potent drug and it is therefore important to continue to strive to improve our use of this drug by continuing studies, instead of extrapolating information from previously published reports. This meeting of key opinion leaders was an extremely useful exercise, allowing vets to compare experiences of managing Addisonian patients and hopefully leading to improved management of patients with hypoadrenocorticism. Conclusion

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