Korean J Pain.  2019 Jul;32(3):187-195. 10.3344/kjp.2019.32.3.187.

A survey of patients’ perspectives of steroid injection (ppyeojusa) in Korea

• Shin BM
• Hong SJ
• Lim YH
• Jeong JH
• Moon HS
• Choi HR
• Park SK
• Han RJ
• Kim JH

• KMID: 2455614
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2019.32.3.187

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Steroid injections are commonly used in pain clinics to relieve pain and treat inflammation. In Korea, these steroid injections are well known as "˜ppyeojusa', which means to inject into the bone in Korean. Some patients often have a negative perception of this treatment method due to inaccurate information about the treatment and side effects of steroids. The purpose of this study is to investigate patients' perception and knowledge of ppyeojusa.
METHODS
A questionnaire about ppyeojusa was completed by patients who visited one of the pain clinics in nine university hospitals, from August 1 to September 10, 2017.
RESULTS
Three-hundred seventy-four patients completed the survey. Eighty-five percent of patients had had ppyeojusa, and 74% of the respondents had heard of ppyeojusa from the mass media, friends or relatives. Only 39% of the patients answered that this injection was safe without side effects if properly spaced. Of the patients surveyed, 21% responded that ppyeojusa are "injections into the bone"; while 15% responded that ppyeojusa are "terrible injections that melted "˜the bone if used a lot'". Half of the patients did not know what the active constituent is in ppyeojusa. If steroid injections are advised by the pain specialists, 89% of the patients would consent.
CONCLUSIONS
Most pain clinic patients have heard of ppyeojusa. Most patients obtained information about ppyeojusa from mass media, rather than their physicians. Therefore, it is likely that most patients have inaccurate knowledge.

Keyword

Complication; Injections; Pain; Pain Clinics; Patients; Steroids; Surveys and Questionnaires; Therapeutics

MeSH Terms

Friends
Hospitals, University
Humans
Inflammation
Korea*
Mass Media
Methods
Pain Clinics
Specialization
Steroids
Surveys and Questionnaires
Steroids

Figure

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  Fig. 1 (A) Patients’ age. (B) How many years have you been attending the pain clinic?

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  Fig. 2 (A) Have you ever received an injection as treatment? (B) The following is a list of injection treatment methods used in pain clinics. Please choose the ones you know, or have been treated with? (Patients can choose multiple answers in B.) TPI: trigger point injection.

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  Fig. 3 (A) Have you heard of ppyeojusa? (B) If you have heard of ppyeojusa, who told you about them (Patients can choose multiple answers in B.)?

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  Fig. 4 (A) What do you think of ppyeojusa? (B) Do you know what the active constituent is in ppyeojusa? (C) Do you know that steroids are drugs that are used for pain treatment, as well as asthma, atopy, dermatitis, rheumatism, allergies and cancers? NSAIDs: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

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  Fig. 5 (A) Do you know that anesthesiologists are the specialists in injections for pain? (B) If you have been treated with injections before, is your physician good at describing its pharmacological, therapeutic, and side effects? (C) If your pain specialist uses steroids for your treatment, are you fine with that?

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