S. Moiniche et al., NO ANTIINFLAMMATORY EFFECT OF SHORT-TERM TOPICAL AND SUBCUTANEOUS ADMINISTRATION OF LOCAL-ANESTHETICS ON POSTBURN INFLAMMATION, Regional anesthesia, 18(5), 1993, pp. 300-303
Background and Objectives. To investigate the effect of topical and su
bcutaneous administration of local anesthetics on the inflammatory res
ponse to thermal injury in human volunteers. Methods. Sixteen healthy
volunteers received identical burn injuries (49-degrees-C for 6 minute
s) on the right and left calves with a 15 x 25 mm rectangular thermode
. Eight subjects had topical 5% EMLA applied before and after burn inj
ury, and another eight subjects were administered subcutaneous 0.5% bu
pivacaine infiltration before burn injury on the right or left leg. No
treatment was applied to the contralateral leg in either group becaus
e this served as the control. The dermal response after burn injury in
test areas with EMLA or bupivacaine and without treatment was compare
d 24 hours, 72 hours, 168 hours, and 14 days after burn injury. Result
s. No significant difference was found in the area of flare, developme
nt of blister and ulcerations, or the intensity of inflammation after
burn injury between the control legs and EMLA or bupivacaine-treated l
egs, respectively. Conclusion. No antiinflammatory effect of short-ter
m preinjury and postinjury topical 5% EMLA or subcutaneous 0.5% bupiva
caine could be demonstrated after thermal injury in human volunteers.