title: The impact of type 2 diabetes on numeric pain score reduction following cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine whether the presence of type 2 diabetes impairs the therapeutic response to transforaminal cervical epidural steroid injections (TF-CESI) in the treatment of pain due to cervical radiculopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective cohort study of patients with cervical radiculopathy who underwent TF-CESI performed by a single physician.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single community-based multidisciplinary pain clinic and ambulatory surgery center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients underwent from one to three TF-CESI with dexamethasone or triamcinolone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Change in self-reported numerical pain score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 387 charts reviewed, complete data were available for 329 subjects who underwent TF-CESI from February 2006 through January 2010. The injections consisted of either 40 mg triamcinolone or 15 mg dexamethasone. Of the 329 total subjects, 35 had type 2 diabetes and 294 did not. The diabetic group had a mean age of 58.1 years with standard deviation (SD) of 11.2, mean body mass index (BMI) of 33.1 (SD 7.1), mean pre-procedure pain score of 6.7 (SD 2.2) and mean reduction in pain score of 2.5 (SD 2.4). The non-diabetic group had a mean age of 52.8 (SD 12.4), mean BMI of 28.2 (SD 5.4), mean pre-procedure pain score of 6.7 (SD 1.8), and mean reduction in pain score of 2.4 (SD 2.2). A two-sample t test with equivalent variance showed no statistically significant difference in the mean reduction in pain score between the diabetic and non-diabetic groups. The patients in the diabetic group were typically older and had higher BMIs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The efficacy of TF-CESI for treating cervical radicular pain in this set of 329 patients was independent of the presence of type 2 diabetes.
authors: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Ma
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Shakir
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007268:Injections, Epidural; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio / Q000453:epidemiology; D010146:Pain; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D013256:Steroids
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