Do interventional pain procedures increase the risk of COVID-19?

Abstract

This study's main aim was to evaluate the risk of COVID-19 in patients who were performed interventional pain procedures during the pandemic. The secondary aim was to evaluate if steroid injection in the procedures increases the risk of COVID-19. In this retrospective study, the records of patients who were performed interventional pain procedures (Group I) and were only examined (Group E) between the 1st of April and 30th of November 2020 were evaluated. The rate of COVID-19 infection in the first sixty days after the hospital visit was recorded. Results of patients who were injected steroids during the procedures were also evaluated. The records of 885 patients were investigated. While 485 of them were in Group I, 400 of them were in Group E. A total of 30 patients had COVID-19 in the assessment period. COVID-19 infection rates were similar between groups. Infection rates were not increased in patients who received steroids. The infection rate was significantly higher in the first 15 days after the hospital visit in both groups comparing the remaining 45 days. We conclude that neither interventional pain procedures nor single dose steroid injections increase the risk of COVID-19. However, ‘coming to hospital’ is a promoting factor itself. We assume that our results are also valid for all kinds of outpatient procedures. We suggest obeying the precaution recommendation guidelines of international communities during the pandemic.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Steroid
• pain
• pandemic
• outbreak

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