For short and long-term
management, 5 % lidocaine medicated plaster have been found to decrease
concomitant analgesics and maintain cognitive integrity in PHN geriatrics.
This study was implemented to find out the short- and
long-term effectiveness and safety of the 5% lidocaine medicated plaster in the
treatment of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in elderly patients (≥70 years of
age).
After stratification according to age (<70 years and ≥70
years), the data from three European clinical trials was compared. The length
of study phase estimated was 4 weeks for study 1, 8 weeks for study 2, and up
to 12 months for study 3. Pain intensity, pain relief, allodynia severity,
Clinical Global Impression of Change, and Patient Global Impression of Change
were the effectiveness outcome measures. The adverse event documentation was used to estimate the
safety.
The mean average pain intensity ameliorated in the elderly
by −2.1 (SD 2.1) vs. −2.5 (SD 2.0) for <70 year old patients after 4 weeks,
by −1.4 (SD 1.8) vs. −1.7 (SD 1.3) after 8 weeks, and by −1.5 (SD 1.9) vs. −2.7
(SD 2.2) after 12 months. Most patients presented with allodynia (>85% of
elderly, >78% of younger patients) were delineated by >51% as painful or
extremely painful. During all three trials, allodynia severity was markedly
reduced in both groups. Drug-related adverse events were observed in <20% of
elderly and <15% of <70 year old patients and were chiefly skin related.
It was culminated that 5%
lidocaine medicated plaster provided pain relief and marked reductions in
allodynia severity in elderly PHN patients with an outstanding safety profile.
This was observed under short- and long-term treatment bracing the addition of
the plaster to the treatment armamentarium for this age group.
Current Medical research and opinion
Treatment of postherpetic neuralgia with 5% lidocaine medicated plaster in elderly patients – subgroup analyses from three European clinical trials
Navjot Chaudhary et al.
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