Reassure Diabetes Patients With Glucose Bumps Due to Short-Course Steroids

Questions are coming up about how to manage patients with diabetes who need a SHORT course of corticosteroids.

Most diabetes patients taking oral steroids will have a blood glucose bump that can occur as early as after the first dose. This can also happen after an intra-articular or epidural steroid injection...or possibly with topical steroids, especially when high-potency agents, longer courses, or large amounts are used.

Management depends on why the steroid's used...whether the patient has type 1 or 2 diabetes...and glucose control. Use these rules of thumb.