ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to describe the therapeutic effectiveness/pain relief of moderate-dose lidocaine infusions in patients with chronic neuropathic pain. Retrospective reviews of medical records were conducted for 40 patients referred to a midwestern pain clinic for management of intractable neuropathic pain despite use of multiple medications and treatment modalities. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patients' demographic data, lidocaine dosing and infusion rate, daily opioid intake, adjuvant medication use, and medication allergies and intolerances. Paired samples t test was used to determine significance between preinfusion and postinfusion pain scores. A significant decrease in pain levels (P < .001) after infusion was found.
Subject(s)
Anesthetics, Local/therapeutic use , Lidocaine/therapeutic use , Pain/prevention & control , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/prevention & control , Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage , Female , Humans , Infusions, Intravenous , Lidocaine/administration & dosage , Male , Middle Aged , Nurse Anesthetists , Pain Measurement , Retrospective Studies , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Eight patients suffering various causes of transient postoperative respiratory failure in the postanesthesia care unit were treated with short-term noninvasive pressure-support ventilation administered through a tight-fitting face mask. Intubation was avoided in all of them, and no complications were observed, as assessed by the treating anesthesiologist and from review of their charts. Indications and advantages of noninvasive ventilation in the early postoperative period are discussed.
