Therapeutic Blood Lidocaine Concentrations after Local Anesthesia for Cardiac Electrophysiologic Studies

Abstract

CLINICAL cardiac electrophysiologic studies are performed to evaluate mechanisms of arrhythmias and their response to therapy.^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10} Lidocaine, injected to provide local anesthesia before insertion of the electrode catheter, can affect the results of such studies if substantial blood concentrations are achieved. This study was designed to measure lidocaine concentrations in patients undergoing cardiac electrophysiologic studies.Materials and MethodsSeventeen patients were studied after written informed consent was obtained. Lidocaine solution (1 per cent, without epinephrine) was injected subcutaneously into one or both groins before insertion of two to four transvenous electrode catheters. Intravascular injection was avoided by aspiration before each . . .