Side 2
What is corticosteroid injections? An injection with adrenocortical hormone mixed with a local anaesthetic is called a corticosteroid injection. It is administered in order to reduce irritation (also called inflammation, which means infection without bacteria). It may be irritation in a bursa, around tendons or in a joint. The irritation may be caused by various things; overload, abrasion, wrong movement amongst others and in the shoulder because of a frozen shoulder. Before we administer a corticosteroid injection to you, we will have carefully considered what causes the irritation. We will also have considered if another treatment or a change in your daily movements will be needed to prevent the irritation in reoccurring. Very often a part of the treatment will be exercises, which you will receive from a physiotherapist. We suggest that in the days after the corticosteroid injection you go easy on the area in question. Effect The local anaesthetic takes effect immediately and the pain disappears or is reduced significantly for the period of time where the local anaesthetic is working. For many patients the adrenocortical hormone takes effect before the local anaesthetic has ceased to work, but for others it will take some days before the adrenocortical hormone starts to work. The effect will often last from weeks up to months. For some patients one corticosteroid injection is enough, but for others further corticosteroid injections are needed. Sometimes it only works for a short period of time or not at all. We aim at administering as few corticosteroid injections as possible in order not to weaken the tissue more than necessary. However, four corticosteroid injections per year may be administered without risk. Some patients experience pain the first 24 hours after the treatment. 2
Side 3
Side-effects The most serious side-effect is infection in and around the shoulderjoint, but this happens very rarely less than once per 10,000 injections. In case of reddening, swelling, heat and/or fever, please immediately contact a doctor. Adrenocortical hormone Reddening, heat and a tendency of sweating (perspiration) may be experienced by up to 10% of patients for a period of from a few minutes and some hours (days) after the injection. A certain discolouring (bleaching) of the skin over the injection area and shrinkage of fat in the same area may occur. Damage to the cartilage is seen in very rare occasions. Menstruation disruption and hypersensitivity may also occur. Local anaesthetic A hypersensitivity reaction is very rare. If you are suffering from diabetes After the injection with adrenocortical hormone there may be some influence on the blood sugar, meaning that the need for insulin is increased temporarily. If the diabetes is wellregulated, there may not be any changes to the blood sugar. We recommend measuring the blood sugar for 4 days after the injection and test 4 times per day, at set times each day: morning, noon, evening and at night and treating deviations, if any, as usual. If in doubt, please contact your GP or a doctor from the emergency service. If you are a blood-donor If you are a blood-donor, you should wait 7 days before any collection. If you are an athlete In accordance with the doping regulation in force presently, any corticosteroid injections with adrenocortical hormone requires a TUE (Therapeutical Use Exemption). The TUE-declaration may be requested via the web-site www. antidoping.dk Kind Regards The Staff Shoulder, knee and sports sector Ortopædkirurgisk Dagafsnit A510 (Surgical Outpatient Centre) 3
