ANALGESIC AND ANTIINFLAMMATORY EFFECTS OF LIGNOCAINE-PRILOCAINE (EMLA) CREAM IN HUMAN BURN INJURY

Pain relief may be improved by reducing sensitization of nociceptive p athways caused by tissue injury. Such a reduction depends mainly on in hibition of local inflammatory changes and the relation between durati on of nociceptive block and nociceptive input. In this study we examin ed if prolonged topical treatment with local anaesthetics could reduce late hyperalgesia and local inflammation after burn injury in healthy volunteers. The effects of EMLA treatment for 8 h after burn on hyper algesia, inflammation and wound healing were compared with the contral ateral placebo-treated leg for 48 h after bilateral burn injuries (15 x 25 mm, 49 degrees C for 5 min) in a double-blind, randomized study i n 12 healthy volunteers. Wound healing was studied 1 and 2 weeks after injury. Neither mechanical nor thermal primary hyperalgesia were affe cted significantly by prolonged EMLA treatment. Secondary hyperalgesia and skin erythema were also not changed. Seven of 12 placebo-treated legs developed blisters, in contrast with four of 12 EMLA-treated legs . Wound healing showed no apparent differences. Our data suggest that prolonged, topical treatment with local anaesthetics did not reduce lo cal inflammation and late hyperalgesia.