Hydrocortisone shortage

Due to a national shortage of prepared hydrocortisone ampoules, the presentation is changing.

Hydrocortisone will be supplied in a powder form and will need to be reconstituted in a similar way to benzylpenicillin and glucagon.

To do this you will need to:

• draw up a maximum 2ml of water for injection into a syringe
• inject the water into the ampoule containing the powder
• shake to allow the water to reconstitute the powder into a solution
• draw the Hydrocortisone and water solution back into the syringe
• administer to the patient as per JRCALC guidelines.

The products may look different depending on supplier.

For full details, please refer to the JRCALC Clinical Practice Guidelines 2013, page 310. The use of hydrocortisone sodium succinate powder is covered in this, so a new patient group direction (PGD) is not required.

Please note if you are administering this via the intramuscular route you must use an appropriate needle.

This information is also available as a clinical bulletin; please download this to print and put up at stations.

Published 13th November 2014