Continuous intravenous lidocaine in the treatment of paralytic ileus due to severe spinal cord injury. 
Paralytic ileus is a major concern in the acute phase of spinal cord injury.  Classical treatment with neostigmine is often ineffective.  Continuous intravenous (i.v.)  lidocaine infusion has been previously proposed intra and post-operatively in order to decrease the duration of post-operative ileus after abdominal surgery.  We report the cases of seven patients suffering from complete paralytic spinal cord injury-related ileus with colectasy resistant to neostigmine, who were treated by i.v.  lidocaine infusion.