Metabolic and endocrinal effects of epidural glucocorticoid injections

INTRODUCTION@#Epidural steroid injections are an integral part of nonsurgical management of radicular pain from lumbar spine disorders. We studied the effect of dexamethasone 8 mg epidural injections on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and serum glucose control of Asian patients.@*METHODS@#18 patients were recruited: six diabetics and 12 non-diabetics. Each patient received a total of dexamethasone 8 mg mixed with a local anaesthetic solution of lignocaine or bupivacaine, delivered into the epidural space. Levels of plasma cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), serum glucose after an overnight fast and two-hour postprandial glucose, as well as weight, body mass index, blood pressure and heart rate were measured within one week prior to the procedure (baseline) and at one, seven and 21 days after the procedure.@*RESULTS@#Median fasting blood glucose levels were significantly higher on post-procedure Day 1 than at baseline. However, there was no significant change in median two-hour postprandial blood glucose from baseline levels. At seven and 21 days, there was no significant difference in fasting or two-hour postprandial glucose levels. Both ACTH and serum cortisol were significantly reduced on Day 1 compared to baseline in all patients. There was no significant difference in ACTH and serum cortisol levels from baseline at Days 7 and 21.@*CONCLUSION@#Our study shows that epidural steroid injections with dexamethasone have a real, albeit limited, side effect on glucose and cortisol homeostasis in an Asian population presenting with lower back pain or sciatica.

Characteristics of patients who made a return visit within 72 hours to the emergency department of a Singapore tertiary hospital

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>72-hour emergency department (ED) reattendance is a widely-used quality indicator for quality of care and patient safety. It is generally assumed that patients who return within 72 hours of ED discharge (72-hour re-attendees) received inadequate treatment or evaluation. The current literature also suggests considerable variation in probable causes of 72-hour ED reattendances internationally. This study aimed to understand the characteristics of these patients at the ED of a Singapore tertiary hospital.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We conducted a retrospective cohort study on all ED visits between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013. 72-hour re-attendees were compared against non-re-attendees based on patient demographics, mode of arrival, patient acuity category status (i.e. P1/P2/P3/P4), seniority ranking of doctor-in-charge and medical diagnoses. Multivariate analysis using the generalised linear model was conducted on variables associated with 72-hour ED re-attendance.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among 104,751 unique patients, 3,065 (2.93%) were in the 72-hour re-attendees group. Multivariate analysis showed that the following risk factors were associated with higher risk of returning within 72 hours: male gender, older age, arrival by ambulance, triaged as P2, diagnoses of heart problems, abdominal pain or viral infection (all p < 0.001), and Chinese ethnicity (p = 0.006). There was no significant difference in the seniority ranking of the doctor-in-charge between both groups (p = 0.419).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Several patient and event factors were associated with higher risk of being a 72-hour re-attendee. This study forms the basis for hypothesis generation and further studies to explore reasons behind reattendances so that interventions can be developed to target high-risk groups.</p>

Incidence of postoperative wound infections after open tendo Achilles repairs

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Tendo Achilles (TA), which is the confluence of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, is one of the most commonly injured tendons. The surgical repair of TA ruptures is associated with a significant risk of infection. This study examined several factors (i.e. gender, age, body mass index, history of diabetes mellitus, steroid use, acute or chronic TA injuries, type of surgical incision and type of sutures used) that may be associated with postoperative wound infection after open TA repair.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This was a retrospective study involving 60 patients who underwent open TA repair over an 18-month period. Patients who had prior TA surgery or open TA injuries, or who needed soft tissues flaps were excluded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the patients, 7 (11.7%) developed superficial wound infections that were successfully treated with oral antibiotics, while 3 (5.0%) developed deep wound infections that required at least one debridement procedure. No significant association was found between the risk of postoperative wound infection and gender, age, the presence of diabetes mellitus, acute or chronic ruptures, site of surgical incision and type of deep or superficial sutures used.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>While diabetes mellitus and age did not appear to be associated with postoperative wound infections after open TA repair, obese patients were found to be two times more likely to develop a wound infection than normal-weight patients. The incidence of superficial wound infections in this study was similar to previously published results (11.7% vs. 8.2%-14.6%), but the incidence of deep infections was higher (5% vs. 1%-2%).</p>