Effect of nebulized lidocaine on reactive airways

Fourteen subjects with reversible obstructive lung disease inhaled one per cent lidocaine mist delivered by an ultrasonic nebulizer. The effect of ultrasonic nebulization per se was evaluated by a control study utilizing normal saline. After lidocaine inhalation there was a significant decrease in expiratory flow and an increase in airway resistance compared with either baseline or post-saline values. The changes were mild and do not preclude the continued use of nebulized lidocaine as an adjunct to bronchoscopy, but caution in its use is indicated.