Korean J Pain.  2014 Jan;27(1):35-42. 10.3344/kjp.2014.27.1.35.

Epidural Steroid Injection in Korean Pain Physicians: A National Survey

• Kim EJ
• Moon JY
• Park KS
• Yoo DH
• Kim YC
• Sim WS
• Lee CJ
• Shin HY
• Kim JH
• Kim YD
• Lee SJ

• KMID: 2278200
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2014.27.1.35

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Epidural steroid injection (ESI) is one of the most common procedures for patients presenting low back pain and radiculopathy. However, there is no clear consensus on what constitutes appropriate steroid use for ESIs. To investigate optimal steroid injection methods for ESIs, surveys were sent to all academic pain centers and selected private practices in Korea via e-mail.
METHODS
Among 173 pain centers which requested the public health insurance reimbursements for their ESIs and were enrolled in the Korean Pain Society, 122 completed questionnaires were returned, for a rate of 70.5%; also returned were surveys from 39 academic programs and 85 private practices with response rates of 83.0% and 65.9%, respectively.
RESULTS
More than half (55%) of Korean pain physicians used dexamethasone for ESIs. The minimum interval of subsequent ESIs at the academic institutions (3.1 weeks) and the private practices (2.1 weeks) were statistically different (P = 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
Although there was a wide range of variation, there were no significant differences between the academic institutions and the private practices in terms of the types and single doses of steroids for ESIs, the annual dose of steroids, or the limitations of doses in the event of diabetes, with the exception of the minimum interval before the subsequent ESI.

Keyword

dexamethasone; dose; epidural; radiculopathy; spinal pain; steroid; survey; triamcinolone

MeSH Terms

Consensus
Dexamethasone
Electronic Mail
Humans
Insurance
Korea
Low Back Pain
Pain Clinics
Private Practice
Public Health
Surveys and Questionnaires
Radiculopathy
Steroids
Triamcinolone
Dexamethasone
Steroids
Triamcinolone

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Survey contents.

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