Which long-acting corticosteroid is listed with an equivalence of 0.6 mg?

• A. Dexamethasone 0.75 mg
• B. Betamethasone 0.6 mg
• C. Hydrocortisone 20 mg
• D. Prednisone 5 mg

Answer: (B)

Systemic corticosteroid dosing is guided by potency equivalence: different steroids have different anti-inflammatory strengths per milligram, and the duration of action matters as well. Long-acting steroids like betamethasone and dexamethasone are much more potent per milligram than hydrocortisone or prednisone. In standard equivalence tables, 0.6 mg of betamethasone provides roughly the same anti-inflammatory effect as 0.75 mg of dexamethasone, 20 mg of hydrocortisone, or 5 mg of prednisone. Since the question specifies an equivalence of 0.6 mg, the compound that matches that exact value is betamethasone. The other options represent different potencies per milligram (0.75 mg for dexamethasone; 20 mg hydrocortisone; 5 mg prednisone), so they do not align with the stated 0.6 mg equivalence.