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

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.