Intravenous Lidocaine for Pain Associated With Pancreatic Cancer and Chronic Pancreatitis

Administration of IV lidocaine will take place according to the standard protocol as is currently already used in daily clinical practice. First, a lidocaine bolus of 1.5mg/kg is administered, followed by a continuous infusion of 1.5mg/kg/hour. When no pain relief is noticed, each 15 minutes the dose is raised with 1ml up to a maximum of 2mg/kg/hour. If again no pain relief is noticed, the anesthesiologist is consulted. When the anesthesiologist agrees, and no side effects occur, lidocaine infusion can be increased up to a maximum of 2.5mg/kg/hour, with a maximum of 250mg/hour. When there is a pain response - pain is reduced with at least two NRS points or 30% from baseline - that dose is administered for two hours continuously. Following treatment the patient will be observed for an hour before leaving the hospital or recovery unit, again, all according to current daily clinical practice.