Racial background and lidocaine pharmacokinetics.

The pharmacokinetics of lidocaine were investigated in 17 healthy young adult volunteers seven Caucasians, five Orientals, and five Blacks). With the assumption of a one-compartment open model and linear pharmacokinetics, analysis of the data determined that there were no significant differences in the volume of distribution, clearance, elimination half-life, and serum protein binding of lidocaine among these racial groups. Our finding that lidocaine clearance and protein binding are not significantly different in young adult Caucasians and Orientals is consistent with our previous hypothesis that drugs metabolized in the body by N-dealkylation (lidocaine and diphenhydramine) area cleared at similar rates in young adult Caucasians and Orientals when protein binding is taken into account.