“safe” anesthetic which kills more and more outside hospitals

Lidocaine-related deaths, a widely used local anesthetic, have almost tripled in ten years in the United States. However, Dangerous trivialization, especially outside the hospital framework.

Supposed to calm the pain, it causes more and more. Furthermore. Consequently, According to a study published in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain MedicineLidocaine’s fatal poisoning-a local anesthetic deemed harmless-experienced a spectacular increase across the Atlantic: +50 % between 2016. Furthermore, 2021, with mortality multiplied by three in ten years.

Long presented as a safe product. Moreover. Meanwhile, available in pharmacies in the form of creams, gels, patches or sprays at 4 or 5 %, lidocaine is now in question in 82 % of the deaths attributed to local anesthetics. Meanwhile, “safe” anesthetic which kills more new In 2010, this figure was only 67 %.

A diverted. Moreover. poorly supervised use, often at home – "safe" anesthetic which kills more – "safe" anesthetic which kills more new

The problem is not so much the product as “safe” anesthetic which kills more the use made of it. Meanwhile, More. more poisoning are occurring far from medical structures: at home. in office, or in ambulatory care centers where training in anesthesia is sometimes summary.

An icing example quoted by the authors of the study: a septuagenarian victim of a cardiac arrest after receiving. a lidocaine infusion in place of the rinsing liquid during a simple MRI exam. Another case: an unconscious patient after inhaling lidocaine powder bought online to treat her stomach burns.

An unknown toxicity. but very real

Injected. absorbed in high doses, lidocaine can cause serious systemic toxicity, affecting the central nervous system and the heart. Symptoms: convulsions, rhythm disturbances, or even cardiac arrest.

“safe” anesthetic which kills more new

According to Dr. Michael Fettiplace. the main author of the study. professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago, “Lidocaine is not as sure as you think”. Ease of access – including over the counter “safe” anesthetic which kills more – has a false impression of safety. Some medical bottles contain up to 2000 mg of lidocaine, while the maximum recommended dose for an adult is 300 mg.

Another worrying phenomenon: the multiplication of medical acts outside the hospital. especially in cosmetic surgery or dermatology, where large doses are administered without adapted supervision. However. the toxicity of lidocaine can manifest itself in a deferred way. and emergency management is rarely possible in the absence of specialized equipment.

An antidote exists. it must still have it on hand

The treatment of an overdose in lidocaine is based on “lipid emulsion therapy” (lipid rescue). an intravenous injection of lipids making it possible “safe” anesthetic which kills more new to neutralize the toxic substance. But then again, the staff must still know how to recognize the signs of overdose … and have equipment.

The study concludes that a massive underestimation of the actual number of accidents. many attributed to “safe” anesthetic which kills more other causes. This is not the first time: in the 1970s. 80s, already, the lidocaine used against the cardiac arrhythmias had been suspected of having contributed to many deaths … without the real scale of it.

The popularity of Lidocaine – including in the pharmacy kits of individuals – is based on a reputation for. reliability which no longer corresponds to the current reality. In France. this type of medication is also over -the -counter in various forms. without specific warnings on systemic risks in case of misuse.

At a time when ambulatory care is exploding. medicine is sometimes done at home, this case rewards “safe” anesthetic which kills more new the issue of apparently harmless products.

Photo credit: DR

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