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Efficacy of 5-Day Continuous Lidocaine Infusion for the Treatment of Refractory Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Efficacy of 5-Day Continuous Lidocaine Infusion for the Treatment of Refractory Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Robert J. Schwartzman, Mona Patel, John R. Grothusen and Guillermo M. Alexander
Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.), v 10(2), pp 401-412
01 Mar 2009
PMID: 19284488
url
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4637.2009.00573.xView
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Maybe Open Access (Publisher Bronze) Open

Abstract

Anesthesiology General & Internal Medicine Life Sciences & Biomedicine Medicine, General & Internal Science & Technology
Chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a severe pain condition that usually results from an injury or surgical procedure. The pain in CRPS often spreads from the site of injury, and with time becomes refractory to conventional therapy. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of 5-day continuous intravenous lidocaine treatment in patients afflicted with CRPS. Intravenous lidocaine was administered in an escalating dose schedule to 49 severely affected CRPS patients in a monitored setting over 5 days. Evaluation of pain parameters and other signs and symptoms of CRPS were obtained during the infusion and at 1, 3, and 6 months following therapy. The majority of patients demonstrated a significant decrease in pain parameters and other symptoms and signs of CRPS. The pain reduction lasted an average of 3 months. Lidocaine may be particularly effective for thermal and mechanical allodynia. Less clinically significant effects were documented on the motor aspects of the syndrome. Intravenous lidocaine administration titrated to 5 mg/L demonstrated: 1) a significant decrease in mechanical and thermal allodynia for three months, 2) lessened associated inflammatory components of CRPS, and 3) only minimal side effects and no severe complications.

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Anesthesiology
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