Lidocaine lollipop effective for endoscopy

BEIRUT , Lebanon, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- A lidocaine lollipop gives a single-agent anesthetic for patients undergoing an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, researchers in Lebanon say.

Upper endoscopy, used to examine the lining of the upper part of the GI tract including the esophagus, stomach and duodenum -- first part of the small intestine -- is often done under sedation.

Lead author Dr. Assaad Soweid of the American University of Beirut Medical Center said a significant portion of the complications of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy are often attributed to intravenous sedation.

Soweid compared the efficacy of lidocaine administered in the form of a lollipop as a single-agent anesthetic with the conventional lidocaine spray.

The study, published in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, found the lidocaine lollipop resulted in the elimination of the need for any intravenous sedation in nearly two-thirds of the study participants and the use of lower doses of sedatives in the rest.

The researchers speculate that the lidocaine lollipop might lead to lower rates of adverse events requiring interventions and hence lower direct and indirect costs of the procedure.