Abdominal pain and alcohol celiac plexus nerve block.

Alcohol celiac plexus nerve blocks were done in 100 patients, of whome 97 had intractable abdominal pain from cancer. In most cases, an initial diagnositc block with bupivacaine was followed by the therapeutic block performed by injecting 50 ml of 50 percent ethyl alcohol. Good to excellent pain relief occurred in 94 percent of patients. Fourteen blocks were repeated for recurrent pain. Life duration ranged from 2 days to 14 months after the block. Complications and side effects were infrequently seen but did include a 10 percent incidence of postural hypotension and 1 case of partial leg paralysis. This block is remarkably safe as well as effective and should be employed more frequently.