Odds of Influenza in Patients Receiving Intra-articular Corticosteroid Injections: A Cohort Study.
Terin T Sytsma, Rozalina G McCoy, Karen M Fischer and 2 others
PMID 36897795WHAT IT FOUND
Influenza risk was not higher overall after intra-articular steroid injections.
However, unvaccinated patients who received large joint injections during flu season had significantly higher odds of influenza. Vaccination appeared to mitigate this risk.
Key findings
01There was no significant difference in the odds of influenza diagnosis between patients who received intra-articular corticosteroid injections and matched controls overall.
02Unvaccinated patients who received an injection during influenza season were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with influenza than unvaccinated controls.
03Vaccinated patients who received injections during influenza season did not have significantly higher odds of influenza compared to vaccinated controls.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was retrospective, so it cannot prove that the injections caused the influenza infections. Influenza diagnoses were based on clinical codes rather than laboratory testing, which may lead to misclassification. The overall rate of diagnosed influenza was low, suggesting many community cases were missed. Vaccinations received outside the study institution were not captured, potentially underestimating the protective effect of vaccination. The study population was limited to residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, which may limit generalizability.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that intra-articular steroid injections universally increase influenza risk. The overall comparison showed no significant difference. The increased risk was specific to unvaccinated patients receiving injections during the influenza season, and vaccination appeared to mitigate this risk.