A 10-year retrospective observational study on the utility and prescription standards of dexamethasone in pediatric neuro-oncosurgery in a tertiary care center

OBJECT: This study aimed to retrospectively assess dexamethasone utility in pediatric CNS tumor patients over a 10-year period, to better understand dosing variability, and highlight optimal practice. METHODS: All pediatric CNS tumor cases managed operatively for a 10-year period at a single center were reviewed. Information was gathered on demographics, dexamethasone doses, course durations, weaning regimes, PPI co-prescription, adverse events, and route of administration. Comparison within these groups was analyzed through use of statistical testing. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-seven patients received 193 dexamethasone courses. Median age was 7 years, with a median weight of 27.9 kg. Most common tumor type was astrocytoma (24.8%). Median daily dose was 8 mg, with twice-daily dosing most common. Median course duration was 8 days, ranging from 1 to 1103 days. Median weaning duration was 11.5 days. Daily dose was not correlated with patient weight and the median daily dose per kg was 0.2319 mg/kg. Incidence of adverse effects was 14.5% across all course lengths, with weight gain most common. The short-term course duration (<14 days) had the lowest adverse event incidence, with direct correlation between course length and adverse effect incidence. Dexamethasone dose per kg was not significantly different between patients with and without adverse effects. No relationship was noted between adverse effects incidence and administration route (intravenous compared to oral). 64.2% of patients received concurrent PPI with 35.8% receiving no PPI, with 1 gastrointestinal side effect noted in the PPI-receiving population. CONCLUSIONS: Large variation was seen in practice, with prescriptions appearing based on clinician preference and symptom severity rather than patient age or weight. Future guidelines should consider lower dose regimens than are currently presented with less frequent dosing as these may benefit quality of life. Weaning period can be relatively rapid for most patients, taking place in 2–3 days. PPI co-prescription does not seem to add significant benefit. We recommend using a standardized guideline of 0.2 mg/kg/day (max 8 mg/day) given OD or BD, with PPI cover where necessary. For acute presentations, we recommend limiting dexamethasone treatment to <14 days. These recommendations can be adjusted for individual cases to yield optimal results.