In the field of cosmetic procedures, anesthetics are widely used and are often necessary to reduce pain and discomfort during injection beauty procedures. In addition, pain relief contributes to more efficient and calm work of the doctor, which has a beneficial effect on the final result.
As part of anesthesia, various methods can be used, such as infiltration, conduction, and application anesthesia. Local anesthetics interfere with the transmission of signals along nerve fibers, which ensures patient comfort during procedures.
The most common drug used for local anesthesia is lidocaine. Allergic reactions to it are rare, but if they occur, they can pose a threat to the patient’s life.
What is Lidocaine?
Lidocaine injection is a medication from a group of local anesthetics used for pain relief in a variety of medical and cosmetic procedures. Its main function is to provide temporary numbness to the area of application on the surface of the skin. This occurs by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses, which creates a sensation of loss of sensitivity in the corresponding area of the body.
Contraindications
There is hypersensitivity to elements of the drug or other amide local anesthetics, as well as a history of epileptic seizures when using lidocaine hcl injection usp, severe bradycardia, severe hypotension, cardiogenic shock, severe forms of chronic heart failure (second and third degrees), sinus syndrome, Wolf syndrome -Parkinson-White, Adams-Stokes syndrome, second and third degree atrioventricular block, lack of fluid in the body, severe liver/kidney dysfunction, porphyria, myasthenia gravis, and retrobulbar administration in patients with glaucoma.
Application and dosage
The drug is used by injection (subcutaneously, intramuscularly) and topically on the mucous membranes. Intravascular administration of the drug should be avoided. Before using the drug, a skin test should be performed to determine sensitivity to lidocaine, which is manifested by swelling and redness at the injection site.
For terminal anesthesia of the mucous membranes in adults, the drug is used in a dosage of up to 2 mg/kg lidocaine, with an anesthesia duration of 15 to 30 minutes. The maximum dose of the drug for adults is 20 ml.
For conduction anesthesia (including anesthesia of the brachial and sacral plexuses), 5-10 ml (100-200 mg) of the drug is injected, and for anesthesia of the fingers, nose, and ears – 2-3 ml (40-60 mg) of the drug. The maximum dose of the drug for adults is 10 ml (200 mg).
In ophthalmology, the drug is administered 2 drops into the conjunctival sac 2-3 times with an interval of 30-60 seconds immediately before the study or operation.
For children over 12 years of age, for all types of local anesthesia, the total dose of lidocaine should not exceed 3 mg/kg body weight.
For all types of injection anesthesia, a combination of lidocaine with epinephrine is possible (1: 50,000, 1: 100,000 are prepared ex tempore, add 1 drop of 0.1% epinephrine solution to 5-10 ml of 2% lidocaine solution), except in cases where the systemic effect of epinephrine undesirable – in case of hypersensitivity to epinephrine, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, glaucoma or the need for a short-term anesthetic effect. Epinephrine slows down the absorption of lidocaine, prolonging its action.
Side effects
Excitation of the central nervous system (when used in large doses), anxiety, headache, dizziness, sleep disturbance, foggy consciousness, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, coma, sensory disturbances, numbness of the tongue and lips (when used in dentistry), motor block in patients with increased sensitivity – euphoria, tremors, trismus, motor agitation, tingling, convulsions.