Meperidine and topical lidocaine in pre-endoscopic medication

A double-blind study of 166 consecutive, elective, peroral endoscopies performed with a flexible fiberoptic esophagogastroduodenoscope was made to determine the efficacy of intramuscular meperidine as an adjunct to intravenous diazepam and intramuscular atropine with or without topical lidocaine. No significant differences were found in either the examiner’s or the patient’s evaluation between the groups receiving meperidine with lidocaine, meperidine without lidocaine, lidocaine without meperidine, and neither lidocaine nor meperidine.