To 'dex' or not to 'dex'. A descriptive account of corticosteroid use in palliative medicine

This is a descriptive account of corticosteroid use. It is illustrated by examples from an inpatient hospice facility. It demonstrates that the benefits of such treatment may be dramatic, but the adverse effects may be severe and occasionally devastating. It is important to consider using corticosteroids to palliate many distressing symptoms. However, treatment must be reviewed frequently, the dose reduced where possible and the treatment ceased altogether if it is ineffective or no longer necessary.