Abstract
BackgroundCorticosteroids injected for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain are systemically absorbed and can affect the immune response to viral infections.PurposeTo determine the incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 disease in individuals receiving image-guided corticosteroid injections for musculoskeletal pain compared with the general population during the pandemic recovery period.Materials and methodsIn this prospective cohort multicenter study, adults with a history of musculoskeletal pain who underwent imaging-guided intra-articular and spine corticosteroid injections between April 2020 and February 2021 were consecutively enrolled. Participants were followed for a minimum of 28 days through their electronic medical record (EMR) or by direct phone call to screen for COVID-19 test results or symptoms. Clinical data including body mass index (BMI) was also obtained from the EMR. Incidence of COVID-19 in the state was obtained using the Massachusetts COVID-19 Response Reporting website. Student t tests were used for continuous variable comparisons. Univariable analyses were performed using Fisher exact tests.ResultsA total of 2714 corticosteroid injections were performed for 2190 adult participants (mean age ± standard deviation, 59 ± 15 years, 1031 women). Follow-up was available for 1960 (89%) participants who received 2484 injections. Follow-up occurred 97 ± 33 days (range 28 – 141 days) after the injection. There were 10/1960 participants with COVID-19 within 28 days from the injection (0.5%, 95% CI, 0.24-0.94%) and 43/1960 participants with COVID-19 up to 4 months after the injection (2.2% 95%CI, 1.6-2.9%). This was lower than the incidence rate in the population of Massachusetts during the same period (519,195/6,892,503, 7.5%, P <.001 both at 28 days and 4 months). Participants diagnosed with COVID-19 (n=10) at 28 days had higher BMI than the entire cohort (n=1960) (32 ± 10 vs. 28 ± 6 kg/m2, P=.04).ConclusionAdults who received image-guided corticosteroid injections for pain management performed during the pandemic recovery period had a lower incidence of symptomatic COVID- 19 compared with the general population.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.