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| The following article is part of conference coverage from the IASP 2018 conference in Boston, Massachusetts. Clinical Pain Advisor’s staff will be reporting breaking news associated with research conducted by leading experts in pain medicine. Check back for the latest news from IASP 2018. |
Administration of low-dose lidocaine infusion therapy was effective at providing short-term relief to patients with refractory neuropathic pain, and pain relief was more pronounced when repeated infusions were administered to patients. This research will be presented at the 17th World Congress on Pain, held September 12-16, 2018, in Boston, Massachusetts.
The prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel study evaluated the efficacy and safety of repeated low-dose lidocaine infusion therapy used to treat 42 patients with postherpetic neuralgia or complex regional pain syndrome type 2. Participants were given 4 consecutive infusions of 3 mg/kg of lidocaine and normal saline (control) infusions administrated for 60 minutes at 1-week intervals. Pain was scored at baseline, final infusion, and follow-up using the 11-point numerical rating scale.
Study results showed a significant reduction in the numerical rating scale pain score for the lidocaine group compared with the control group; the percent change in pain scores was more prominent in the lidocaine group during the third and fourth infusions. However, the reduction in pain scores was not sustained during the 4-week follow-up period. No serious treatment complications were reported.
In patients with neuropathic pain conditions, low-dose lidocaine infusion therapy was found to be an effective treatment for short-term pain relief. Repeated infusions substantially reduced pain scores, but were not sustained in the long term.
Reference
Song H, Yoo Y, Kim E, Lee C, Moon J, Kim Y. Efficacy and safety of lidocaine infusion treatment for neuropathic pain: a randomized, double-blind, and placebo controlled study. Presented at: The 17th World Congress on Pain; September 12-16, 2018; Boston, MA.
For more coverage of IASP 2018, click here.
