RESPONSE TO INTRAVENOUS LIDOCAINE INFUSION DIFFERS BASED ON CLINICAL-DIAGNOSIS AND SITE OF NERVOUS-SYSTEM INJURY

We analyzed retrospectively pain relief from an intravenous lidocaine infusion (5 mg/kg/hr for 60 to 90 minutes) in 111 patients with chroni c nonmalignant pain. Patients with peripheral nervous system (PNS) inj ury reported substantially more pain relief than those with central ne rvous system (CNS) injury or with pain of unknown etiology. These find ings suggest that (1) the pathophysiology of chronic pain due to PNS i njury is different from that due to CNS injury and idiopathic pain, an d that (2) pain due to PNS damage may be suppressible by local anesthe tic antiarrhythmic agents.