A patient maintained on oral hydrocortisone 20 mg daily for Addison disease needs to be switched to an equivalent dose of prednisolone. The equivalent dose of prednisolone is:
- A 25 mg
- B 10 mg
- C 5 mg ✓
- D 2 mg
Correct answer: C. 5 mg
Explanation
Standard equivalence is hydrocortisone 20 mg = prednisolone 5 mg = methylprednisolone 4 mg = dexamethasone 0.75 mg, giving prednisolone roughly 4 times the glucocorticoid potency of hydrocortisone. Option B (10 mg) would double the replacement dose and risk iatrogenic Cushing features over time. Option D reflects the equivalence with dexamethasone scaled incorrectly. These conversion factors are examined frequently in pharmacology and endocrinology papers.
Reference: Katzung Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, 15th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.