Interpleural analgesia through a DuPen catheter for lung cancer pain.
BACKGROUND
Pain, one of the most frequent symptoms of lung cancer, is difficult to control at times, not only because of the many structures involved but also because of the paths through which the pain is conveyed.


METHODS
When usual analgesic treatment did not alleviate pain after chemotherapy in a patient with lung adenocarcinoma, long-term interpleural analgesia was begun. A DuPen epidural catheter was inserted between the pleura parietalis and visceralis for the administration of bupivacaine in a bolus regimen every 6 hours.


RESULTS
Thoracic pain thus was controlled until the patient died 130 days after placement.


CONCLUSIONS
The long-term tunneled interpleural placement of DuPen catheters constitutes an alternative to systemic and spinal treatments for thoracic pain due to cancer.
Aguilar
J L
JL
Servicio de Anestesiologia, Hospital Universitario de Badalona, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.
Montes
A
A
Samper
D
D
Roca
G
G
Vidal
F
F
D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002404:Catheterization; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010994:Pleura
D002045:Bupivacaine