Plasma prednisolone levels during intravenous therapy in acute colitis

Abstract

Maximum plasma levels in 6 acute colitics were about 3 times greater after an intravenous bolus of 20 mg prednisolone than the mean level achieved during infusion of the same dose (p<0.001) over 8 hours; the level during infusion was about twice as great as the maximum recorded previously after a single 40 mg oral dose of prednisolone. These findings favour the use of intravenous administration in severe acute colitis. No difference was found between plasma levels of patients and 6 normal subjects after the intravenous bolus.