THE common use of steroids by doctors in Hong Kong could be exposing patients to the possibility of severe and long-term side effects, according to the Hong Kong Medical Association (HKMA).
The warning to both doctors and patients came after Dr Kwan Kong-yuen was cleared of professional misconduct by the Medical Council after he prescribed steroids to a two-year-old girl who later suffered from acne, a moon face and an abnormally hairy body.
President of the HKMA and a member of last Thursday's Medical Council panel, Dr Lee Kin-hung, said: 'The use of steroids among doctors in Hong Kong is common and sometimes the dose and duration may not be optimal, in that inappropriate use of steroids may do harm to the patient.' The association called on doctors to ensure they were particularly aware of the dangers of using steroids.
The immediate past president of the HKMA, Dr David Fang Jin-sheng, said: 'In general, steroids should not be used as a front-line drug but in an emergency and only as a last resort.' The Medical Council heard that Dr Kwan had prescribed the steroid prednisolone to the girl on her first visit to his clinic, after he had diagnosed bronchial asthma.
Dr Julian Critchley, a pharmacologist who was called as an expert witness by the Medical Council, said: 'One might have expected a step-wise approach to the introduction of the six different medications.
'The patient's response to such therapy should have been assessed before considering steroid therapy.' The hearing also heard that Dr Kwan had prescribed a total of 460 milligrams of the steroid to the girl over nine visits spanning eight weeks.