ABSTRACT
There are many detailed textbooks in existence about immunosuppression and whole tables and long, long lists about the side effects of the various medications. The true test arises when it comes down to when and how to use these powerful medications. Nursing staff monitor blood pressure, blood sugar and pulse rate half hourly for the duration of the infusion and for an hour afterwards. There are instances where even more rapid control of the inflammation is required for reasons specific to each disease in which case intravenous methylprednisolone 1 g once a day for 3 days is the standard treatment. In order to simplify things some centres use a piece of paper with all the monitoring intervals on which is filed into the patient's notes, others use a computer system and still others use a uveitis specialist nurse who co-ordinates all the visits, the blood tests and other monitoring essentials.
