Cumulative glucocorticoid exposure in patients receiving epidural steroid injections: A single-centre retrospective evaluation on 581 procedures against existing clinical recommendations.

Background: The purpose of the study was to review the cumulative corticosteroid doses received from epidural and non-epidural-based pain interventions in a cohort of patients undergoing epidural steroid injections (ESIs) with comparison to safe dosing recommendations.

Methods: Retrospective analysis was undertaken for all 349 patients who underwent a total of 581 ESIs at a single-centre, tertiary hospital in South Australia between 2017 and 2019. The primary outcome was the yearly dose analysis of cumulative steroid doses in methylprednisolone equivalents (MDPE) administered from epidural and non-epidural interventions in post-menopausal women, interpreted against maximum recommended doses.

Results: The annual limit of 200 ​mg for postmenopausal women was exceeded in 4.7% of the time (11/235) from ESIs alone, with a significant rise to 15.3% (46/300) when non-ESI injections were included in cumulative dose totals(p ​< ​0.001). Of the 173 participants of post-menopausal female age, 4.1% (7/173) received cumulative corticosteroid doses above the 3-year 400 ​mg MPDE limit from ESIs alone, with a statistically significant increase to 13.9% (24/173) when non-epidural steroid injections were again included in cumulative dose totals (p ​< ​0.001). The mean ​± ​standard deviation administered MPDE per epidural steroid injection across the whole study cohort was 72 ​± ​22 ​mg, nearly double the recommended dose of 40 ​mg.

Conclusions: Our study underpins the need for vigilance when considering steroid-based pain interventions, wherein both the individual and cumulative steroid exposure should be considered.