The Role of Nebulized Lidocaine in Managing Cough in Lung Cancer in an Inpatient Setting – A Case Series

Patients with lung cancer tend to suffer from cough, which is usually managed with antitussives and opioids. Some of these patients develop cough that do not respond to these first line medications. Nebulized lidocaine can be administered to help relieve this distressing symptom. We describe two patients with lung cancer who developed cough despite use of antitussives, opioids and antibiotics (Patient A) in an inpatient hospice. Both patients responded to the addition of nebulized lidocaine to manage cough. In this paper, we outline clinical considerations for its use in cough.