Comparison of efficacy of epidural triamsinolone and betamethasone injection on blood glucose and pain in non-diabetic patients

Year 2018, Volume: 35 Issue: 1, 7 - 13, 25.10.2019

Meral Dursun Yücel Fatih Özkan , Sezgin Bilgin , Aysun Çağlar Torun , Ersin Köksal

Abstract

The aim of this study is to compare the effects of two different steroid
medication on pain and blood glucose for non-diabetic patients suffer-
ing from low back and leg pain for the purpose of providing epidural
analgesia. ASA I-II classified non-diabetic 60 patients were involved
into this study. In group 1, betamethasone 6 mgr+10 mgr bupivacaine
and in group 2, triamcinolone 40 mgr+10 mgr bupivacaine were applied
with epidural injection. VAS scores, blood glucose measures, and satis-
faction scales were analysed. In the comparison of VAS values with ini-
tial VAS values of patients in group 1 and group 2, there was significant
decrease for all time-points. VAS scores for the group 1 were found low,
comparing to group 2, in the second, fourth and sixth hours after the in-
jections, but it was found as high in the second week and first month. In
the comparison of blood glucose values with its initial scores for group
1 patients, there was significant increase in the fourth hour. For group 2,
significant difference was not observed. When the blood glucose values
were compared between group 1 and 2 patients, there was significant
increase for group 1 in the second and the fourth hour after injections.
In the sense of patient satisfaction scale, significant difference cannot
be observed between groups. Epidural betamethasone and triamcino-
lone were observed that both of them are effective for low back and leg
pain. It was found that epidural betamethasone was more effective in the
early period, and triamcinolone was more effective in the later period.
Epidural betamethasone injection increased blood glucose levels in the
early period. It was found that epidural triamcinolone injection did not
cause any significant changes in blood glucose level. Triamcinolone not
changing blood glucose levels can be regarded as an advantage of this
treatment. 

Keywords

Low back pain, epidural steroid, blood glucose

References

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