[Postoperative analgesia by constant flow injection of lignocaine in obstetrical and gynecologic surgery]

154 surgical patients were given post-operative analgesia by peridural injection at a constant flow in the post-operative period after obstetric or gynecological surgery. These patients received 536.2 +/- 105.3 mu mol.h-1 (145.2 +/- 28.5 mg.h-1) of lignocaine for 46.97 +/- 15.56 h through a catheter omserted between L1-L2. The drug was given in concentrations which varied between: 27.7 to 18.5 m mol.l-1 (0.75 to 0.50 p. 100) depending on the age; and the volume varied between 17.5 to 30 ml.h-1 depending on the height. Satisfactory analgesia in 87 p. 100 of cases allowed all supplementary analgesia to be stopped. The only significant hemodynamic effect was a slight tachycardia (+ 15 p. 100). Two undesirable side effects were noted: a transitory but well-defined (type 2 or 3) motor paralysis, and an accumulation of plasma lignocaine (40 mu mol.l-1 (1.1 microgram.ml-1) at 48 h).