Incidence and Risk Factors of Systemic Adverse Effects and Complications of Ultrasound- and Fluoroscopy-Guided Glucocorticoid Injections: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of the study are to assess the incidence of systemic adverse effects and complications of ultrasound-guided and fluoroscopy-guided glucocorticoid injections and to identify associated risk factors.

DESIGN

This retrospective cohort study compared participants who received a glucocorticoid injection at the outpatient clinic and participants who had an appointment but did not receive a glucocorticoid injection. Participants were called to verify whether they had experienced any of the predetermined systemic adverse effects and complications. Multiple binary logistic regression was used to identify systemic adverse effect and complication risk factors.

RESULTS

There were 1010 participants in the glucocorticoid injection group and 328 in the nonglucocorticoid injection group. There was no statistically significant difference in the occurrence of systemic infection and decompensated heart failure between the two groups. More participants in the glucocorticoid injection group developed abnormal uterine bleeding and erectile dysfunction, but the differences did not reach statistical significance. Female participants were 1.9 times more likely to develop systemic adverse effects ( P < 0.001). Younger age ( P < 0.001), diabetes ( P = 0.012), and higher glucocorticoid injection doses ( P = 0.024) were also associated with an increased risk of developing systemic adverse effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Identified risk factors for developing glucocorticoid injection systemic adverse effects were younger age, female sex, diabetes, tobacco use, and high glucocorticoid injection doses.