Lipid emulsion as rescue for local anesthetic-related cardiotoxicity

Regional anesthesia techniques use local anesthetics to provide sensory and motor block for surgical intervention. Intravascular absorption of the local anesthetics may induce toxic effects, such as seizure activity or cardiac depression, leading to cardiac arrest. Standard, prolonged resuscitation efforts are not always successful in the event of local anesthetic cardiotoxicity. Research in animals, however, has shown that, with the administration of intravenous lipid emulsion, hemodynamic stability can be restored after local anesthetic-induced cardiac arrest. Recent case reports have detailed successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest in several patients with local anesthetic-induced cardiotoxicity.