Question
The vial of dexamethasone does not say that it can be given orally. Is it safe to give this route?
Answer
Yes. Although the vial bottle itself may not state that it is for oral administration, it is supported in the literature and is written directly into the Equipment Standards as being the standard by the Ministry. This route has been used as the standard of care for pediatric croup patients across the world.
Bjornson C et al. A Randomized Trial of a Single Dose of Oral Dexamethasone for Mild Croup. N Engl J Med 2004;351:1306-13
McAllister A, So T, Stewart J. Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Onetime Injectable Dexamethasone Administered Orally in the Pediatric Emergency Department for Asthma Exacerbation. J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther 2017;22(5):326–331.