Systemic absorption of lidocaine after topical application for the treatment of oral mucositis in bone marrow transplantation patients

• Published in: Journal of oral pathology & medicine 1999-04, Vol.28 (4), p.170-172
• Main Authors: Elad, Sharon, Cohen, Galit, Zylber-Katz, Ester, Findler, Moti, Galili, Dan, Garfunkel, Adi A., Or, Reuven
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Topical; Adolescent; Adult; Anesthetics, Local - administration & dosage; Anesthetics, Local - blood; Anesthetics, Local - pharmacokinetics; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Marrow Transplantation - adverse effects; Case-Control Studies; Child; Dental Care for Chronically Ill; Dentistry; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; General pharmacology; Humans; Key words: bone marrow transplantation; lidocaine; Lidocaine - administration & dosage; Lidocaine - blood; Lidocaine - pharmacokinetics; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mouth Mucosa; Mouthwashes - pharmacokinetics; mucositis; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Pharmacokinetics. Pharmacogenetics. Drug-receptor interactions; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Stomatitis - drug therapy; Stomatitis - etiology; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology
• ISSN: 0904-2512; 1600-0714
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0714.1999.tb02018.x

This paper evaluates lidocaine absorption via oral mucosa following its topical application for symptomatic treatment of bone marrow transplantation (BMT)‐induced oral mucositis. Five patients with high‐grade oral mucositis after allogeneic BMT were entered consecutively into the study. Five healthy individuals served as controls. All 10 participants rinsed their mouth with 5ml of a 2% lidocaine solution for 1 min, after which they expectorated the liquid. Blood samples were drawn at 1, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 60 min after rinsing and centrifuged. Plasma lidocine levels were measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay. In the BMT patients, plasma lidocaine levels were lower than the therapeutic range of this drug (0.2 μg/ml), while in the controls no detectable lidocaine levels were noted. The data from this preliminary study indicate that lidocaine prescribed as an anesthetic mouthwash in BMT patients with oral mucositis results in minor systemic absorption of the drug.