title: Neutralized lidocaine: use in pain reduction in local anesthesia.
abstract: The effect of pH neutralization on the pain experienced during intradermal lidocaine administration was investigated in a prospective blind study of 20 adult volunteers. A plain solution (pH congruent to 6.1) and three different buffered solutions of 1% lidocaine (pH values of 6.8, 7.0, and 7.2) were prepared, and a 0.5-mL intradermal injection of each was administered to the volar aspect of the forearm. Pain associated with lidocaine infiltration was rated with a linear visual analogue scale. Solutions with a pH of less than 6.8 (unbuffered lidocaine in this study) predictably produced a burning pain sensation on injection. However, buffering of 1% lidocaine above a pH of 6.8 significantly (P less than .05) reduced the mean quantitative pain estimates compared with the nonbuffered controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, FL 33136.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Bancroft
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Benenati
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Katzen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zemel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D002021:Buffers; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007271:Injections, Intradermal; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000737:chemistry*; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D008012:Lidocaine