Cardiovascular Parameters during Submaximal Exercise following Submucous Administration of Articaine : A Comparison with Lidocaine and Placebo in Young Healthy Volunteers.

OBJECTIVE

Local anaesthetics have been shown to exert pronounced cardiodepressant effects after intravenous administration in high doses. Thus, we compared the cardiovascular effects of articaine with those of lidocaine and placebo after submucous administration in healthy volunteers during bicycle exercise ergometry.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

A single-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover study design with washout periods of 1 week each between the three treatment days was used. Articaine 40mg (A), lidocaine 40mg (L) and placebo (P) were injected submucously in the upper jaw in 12 healthy male volunteers who had had cardiovascular diseases excluded. Parameters measured at baseline and at 15 minutes, 60 minutes and 105 minutes were systolic blood pressure (BP) and heart rate at 50W, 100W and 150W, and cardiac output at 100W. Tolerability was assessed by ECG measurements and through reporting of adverse events.

RESULTS

15 minutes after drug administration, cardiac output was reduced by -3.8% (P), -6.8% (A), and -4.2% (L) [difference between groups was not significant]. There were also no statistically significant differences between groups for cardiac output at 60 and 105 minutes, or for all BP and heart rate measurements.

CONCLUSIONS

Neither drug exhibited significant effects on selected cardiovascular parameters during submaximal exercise when compared with placebo.