TREATMENT OF PANCREATIC PAIN WITH INTERPLEURAL BUPIVACAINE - AN OPEN TRIAL

This study comprised 12 patients admitted for interpleural catheter treatment of chronic pancreatic pain. After the insertion of a left‐sided interpleural catheter, 20 ml of bupivacaine 0.5% plain was given, followed by top‐ups of 10–20 ml bupivacaine 0.5% as needed. Catheters were left in situ for 12–30 h. Immediate pain relief was achieved in all patients. Five patients had only a single blockade offering pain relief for a median of 33 days. One patient suffering from pancreatic carcinoma remained pain‐free until death 45 days later. Seven patients returned for a second blockade after a median of 10 days. After this second blockade long‐lasting pain relief was achieved in three patients for 70, 105 and 145 days. Two patients experienced pain relief lasting 11–14 days, while in two patients only a short‐lived effect was observed, 3–8 days. Unimportant pneumothorax occurred in one patient. No cardiovascular or respiratory side‐effects were recorded. We consider interpleural blockade an alternative worth further investigations in the future in the treatment of patients suffering from chronic pancreatic pain. © 1990 Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Fonden