What is Cortrosyn used for in dogs?

It is the gold standard for the diagnosis of Hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s disease). 3. It is the primary test for monitoring response during treatment of HAC.

What is Cortrosyn used for?

Cortrosyn (cosyntropin) for Injection is a man-made portion of a certain natural substance made by the body (ACTH) used to diagnose adrenal gland problems (e.g., Addison’s disease, insufficiency due to corticosteroid use, pituitary tumor).

How much Cortrosyn Can I give my dog?

– The maximal dose of Cortrosyn for any sized dog is a total dose of 250 µg. – Even if a dog gets a bit less than the calculated 5 µg/kg-dose (no matter what the body weight), this will still produce a maximal serum cortisol response and the ACTH stimulation test results will still be completely valid.

What is an ACTH stimulation test for dogs?

The ACTH stimulation test involves administering a small amount of ACTH by injection and then measuring the levels of cortisol produced over a period of a few hours. In dogs with Cushing’s disease, the injection of ACTH causes the adrenal glands to release unusually high amounts of cortisol.

How is Cortrosyn given?

CORTROSYN™ can be injected intravenously in 2 to 5 mL of saline over a 2-minute period. When given as an intravenous infusion: CORTROSYN™, 0.25 mg may be added to glucose or saline solutions and given at the rate of approximately 40 micrograms per hour over a 6-hour period.

How long does Cortrosyn stay in your system?

The half-life of cortisol is in the range of 70 to 120 minutes. However, the half-life for cosyntropin is only 15 minutes. Administration is by intravenous or intramuscular injection and a rise in cortisol should generally be seen around 30 minutes after administration.

When should a dog get ACTH stimulation test?

The ACTH stimulation test may be performed at any time of day. Patients should ideally be fasted UNLESS the test is for monitoring of treatment for hyperadrenocorticism. Animals on Trilostane or Mitotane therapy should receive their normal morning medication with a small amount of food.

What kind of drug is Cortrosyn?

Cortrosyn belongs to a class of drugs called Diagnostics, Endocrine.

How does Trilostane work?

Unlike Lysodren, which is a cytotoxic drug, Trilostane works as an enzyme blocker by inhibiting the production of cortisol at the level of the adrenal gland.

What is the protocol for cortrosyn for dogs?

The current protocol is as follows: • Collect blood samples prior to and 1 hr after administration of ACTH As Cortrosyn is expensive and the dose required for maximal stimulation of the adrenal glands for small to medium sized dogs is small, each vial can be diluted and stored for up to six months.

How much cortrosyn do I give my Dog for ACTH test?

Because the dose of Cortrosyn used to perform an ACTH stimulation test is only 5 μg/kg, small to medium sized dogs require only a fraction of the ACTH contained in each vial. Reconstitute the Cortrosyn power by adding exactly 2.5-ml of sterile saline solution to the vial.

What is the shelf life of cortrosyn?

And once reconstituted, it has a limited shelf-life. However, by following the protocol outlined below, you can easily dilute, aliquot and store Cortrosyn after reconstitution for up to 6 months. This makes each ACTH stimulation test much less expensive, because each vial of Cortrosyn can be used to perform as many as five ACTH stimulation tests.

How much does cortrosyn cost?

In the USA, Cortrosyn is available through Henry Schein (800-872-4346; ) where it can be purchased as an individual vial ($68/vial) or a box of 10 ($720 per box or 68/vial). 1. Collect baseline serum or plasma sample for cortisol determination.