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Use of steroids decreasing for acute spinal cord injuries
The use of steroids to treat acute spinal cord injuries has decreased greatly since a previously reported study in 2006, with contraindications including sepsis and gastrointestinal bleeding, according to recent survey results.
Gregory D. Schroeder, MD, and colleagues sent a 16-question survey to members of the Cervical Spine Research Society pertaining to their usage and opinions of steroids for the treatment of acute spinal cord injuries; 78 surgeons responded.
Among the respondents, 47.4% reported using steroids to treat cervical complete spinal cord injuries (SCIs), and 56.4% reported using steroids for treatment of incomplete cervical SCIs. For complete and incomplete thoracolumbar spine injuries, the usage rate was 46.2% and 55.1%, respectively.
A significant decrease was seen in the number of surgeons using high-dose steroids in the treatment of acute SCIs compared with a previous 2006 report, from 89% to 56%, according to the researchers.
Seventy-one percent of respondents said they saw complications from the use of steroids, with 76.3% responding that the complications were severe enough to limit use. Additionally, contraindications such as gastrointestinal bleeding, sepsis and injury occurring more than 8 hours before presentation were agreed upon as reasons not to use steroids for acute spinal injuries.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.