Treatment of asthma with nebulized lidocaine: A randomized, placebo-controlled study☆

Local anaesthetic medication for the treatment of asthma

“…Reasons for withdrawal included worsening asthma symptoms (4 receiving lidocaine and 6 receiving placebo) and treatment intolerance (4 receiving lidocaine). From the latter group, one had a cold feeling in the throat, one reported a feeling of claustrophobia, one had cough, one had wheezing after lidocaine, and only the last presented a 16% decrease in FEV 1 (Hunt et al 2004). In line with previous studies, Harrison and Tattersfield (1998) reported that patients with mild-tomoderate asthma did not bronchoconstrict significantly more than to 0.9% NaCl (saline).…”

“…In a more recent evaluation, Hunt et al (2004) reported the results of a placebo-controlled 8-week study in 50 adult subjects with mild-to-moderate asthma. The patients were randomized (25 receiving lidocaine and 25 receiving placebo) and their inhaled steroids were progressively withdrawn over 4 weeks.…”

Nebulized Lidocaine as an Alternative Therapy for Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome

“…Nebulized lidocaine is an effective and safe therapy in subjects with refractory cough and mild-to-moderate asthma in adults and children [7,8]. Hunt and colleagues demonstrated in a randomized placebo-controlled study that nebulized lidocaine is a useful anti-inflammatory asthma treatment and it may even be an alternative to glucocorticoids.…”

Aerosolized Surfactants, Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, and Analgesics

“…Lidocaine has demonstrated efficacy in intractable cough but has not been shown to be effective in the treatment of acute asthma. Indeed, a significant percentage of subjects in the Hunt study 80 had a measurable immediate decrement in FEV 1 associated with inhaled lidocaine. At present, it appears unlikely that inhaled lidocaine will find a place as an anti-inflammatory agent in the treatment of asthma or other pulmonary inflammatory diseases.…”

“…A controlled blinded study by Hunt et al 80 in 50 adults with asthma administered 100 mg of lidocaine by aerosol versus saline 4 times/d showed improved FEV 1 , less nighttime awakening, decreased bronchodilator usage, and decreased blood eosinophil counts. However, a subsequent study 81 failed to show improvement relative to a placebo control, although the dose was considerably smaller (40 mg twice/d) relative to the Hunt study 80 (100 mg 4 times/d). Although ostensibly both studies were blinded, the numbness associated with lidocaine inhalation rendered blinding somewhat questionable.…”