Baughman V L, Laurito C E, Polek W V
Department of Anesthesiology, Humana Hospital-Michael Reese, Chicago, IL 60616.
J Clin Anesth. 1992 Jul-Aug;4(4):325-7. doi: 10.1016/0952-8180(92)90139-r.
To determine whether, following aerosolization of lidocaine for topical airway anesthesia, intravenous (IV) lidocaine produces toxic lidocaine blood concentrations.
Randomized, double-blind study.
University-affiliated hospital.
Forty healthy patients scheduled for outpatient surgery.
The patients received in a randomized, double-blind manner aerosolized lidocaine or placebo followed 10 minutes later by IV lidocaine or placebo.
After completion of lidocaine or placebo aerosolization and 2 minutes following IV administration of either lidocaine or the placebo, venous blood samples were obtained. Lidocaine concentration was measured using a homogenous enzyme assay. The group receiving both aerosolized and IV placebo and the group receiving aerosolized lidocaine and an IV placebo had undetectable (less than 0.05 micrograms/ml) serum lidocaine levels. The groups that received either an aerosolized placebo or aerosolized lidocaine and IV lidocaine had similar serum lidocaine concentrations [3.34 +/- 0.46 vs. 3.24 +/- 0.55 micrograms/ml (mean +/- SEM); p greater than 0.05 by Mann-Whitney U test].
IV lidocaine can be safely administered following aerosolization of lidocaine in spontaneously breathing patients without producing toxic blood lidocaine concentrations.
