Search

Background: Septorhinoplasty is a traumatic procedure that is associated with epistaxis and postoperative pain. The primary objective of this randomized double-blind controlled trial was to determine whether intranasal 5% lidocaine plus naphazoline decreases postoperative pain and lessens the use of rescue analgesics., Methods: After induction of general anesthesia and laryngeal topical anesthesia with 5% lidocaine, 28 adult patients, scheduled to undergo septorhinoplasty, were randomly assigned to one of two groups, either topical intranasal saline 20 ml (control group) or intranasal 5% lidocaine plus naphazoline solution 0.2 mg ml(-1) (lidocaine group). The perioperative dose of sufentanil, the mean end-tidal concentration of isoflurane, and surgeon satisfaction with the operative field were recorded. In the lidocaine group, plasma lidocaine concentrations were sampled 15, 20, 25, 35, 45, and 55 min after induction of anesthesia. Visual analogue scale pain scores were recorded 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after the patients arrived in the postanesthesia care unit and 24 h after surgery. Consumption of morphine rescue analgesia and the occurrence of any side effects were recorded at the end of the 24-h study period., Results: The intranasal lidocaine-naphazoline application decreased isoflurane requirements [median values: 0.8% (0.7-1.5) vs. 1.2% (0.9-1.8), respectively; P = 0.04] and enhanced surgical conditions. Patients in the lidocaine group experienced less postoperative pain than the control group [1 h after surgery: median values of visual analogue scale: 0 (0-20) vs. 50 (30-80), respectively; P = 0.001], and they required fewer doses of subcutaneous morphine. Total plasma concentrations of lidocaine remained below 4 microg ml(-1) throughout the study period., Conclusions: Intranasal lidocaine plus naphazoline is a simple and efficient technique for decreasing intra- and postoperative pain and for lessening rescue analgesic requirements in the postoperative period after septorhinoplasty. Toxic plasma concentrations of lidocaine were not reached.

Between March 1989 and June 1990, 133 patients were treated with interleukin 2 (rIL-2) for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in a multicentre open non-randomised study. The results show an objective response rate of 14% (95% confidence interval 8-21) with 4 patients achieving a complete remission. This is in keeping with the data from previous studies using rIL-2 by continuous infusion. It is of interest that 87% of objective responses occurred in hospitals that entered 5 or more patients.

Data have been analysed for 327 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma receiving a continuous infusion of recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2) alone (225 patients) or rIL-2 plus lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells (102) on a normal oncology ward. Eligibility criteria were uniform across protocols, all patients having advanced progressive disease, but with an ambulatory performance status. The baseline characteristics of patients receiving rIL-2 alone did not differ significantly from those receiving LAK, with the exception that the LAK treated patients had a better performance status. Despite similar treatment intensity, toxicity was more severe in the patients receiving LAK. The addition of LAK did not lead to higher response rates or to prolonged response duration, progression-free survival or survival. This review confirms the activity of rIL-2 for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma and demonstrates that the addition of LAK cells does not lead to increased efficacy.

Recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2) and flavone acetic acid (FAA) were used to treat 34 patients with progressing metastatic melanoma. Five patients had solely non-visceral disease and the median number of organ sites involved was two. Five doses of rIL-2 were given, the first dose intrasplenically via a femoral artery catheter with a further dose 4 h later i.v. and the other doses i.v. on alternate days. The rIL-2 dose was 11 x 10(6) Cetus units m-2; the day before rIL-2, FAA (4.8 G m-2) was given as a 6 h i.v. infusion, in order to enhance further killer cell activity. A total of three courses at 21-day intervals was planned and 74 courses in all were given. Despite the high dose of rIL-2 and the potential overlapping toxicity affecting blood pressure with the addition of FAA, side-effects were generally mild. There were only five episodes of grade 4 toxicity: one of ventricular tachycardia and four other episodes of transient biochemical or haematological disturbance. Grade 3 hypotension or hypertension occurred on 22 courses but again was transient. No patient required intensive care facilities. Five patients had tumour response, one being complete. Responses occurred in pulmonary and hepatic metastases, but mainly in non-visceral sites. Eleven patients remain alive at 6-17 months and in five there is no relapse or progression of disease. Despite the impressive results in animal tumour models, the addition of FAA to rIL-2 in the present study has not markedly improved results over rIL-2 alone.