Generally, the immunosuppressive effects of corticosteroids are dose-dependent, with higher doses and longer durations of treatment posing a greater risk.
The specific dose at which a patient is considered immunocompromised can vary, but some general guidelines are as follows:
- High Dose: Patients receiving prednisolone at a dose of 20 mg per day for more than two weeks are often considered at significant risk of being immunosuppressed.
- Moderate Dose: Some guidelines consider doses as low as 10 mg per day of prednisolone for extended periods (usually more than a month) as potentially immunosuppressive.
It is worth noting that ~ 7.5 mg of prednisolone a day is equivalent to normal physiological cortisone production.