Absorption of lignocaine and bupivacaine from the respiratory tract during fibreoptic bronchoscopy.

Absorption of lignocaine and bupivacaine from the upper and lower respiratory tract was studied in patients undergoing fibreoptic bronchoscopy. No significant differences were found between the drugs and between the routes of administration in terms of the time taken to achieve maximum plasma concentrations. The relative availability of lignocaine was greater following administration via the upper respiratory tract, but bupivacaine availability did not differ. The apparent clearance of lignocaine was not affected by the route of administration but bupivacaine clearance was higher following administration via the lower respiratory tract. Bupivacaine, previously unreported as a topical agent in man, produced adequate anaesthesia at one-eighth of the dose of lignocaine. Plasma bupivacaine concentrations had a very wide safety margin.