The effects of two different dental local anesthetic solutions on plasma potassium levels during third molar surgery

The influence of two different dental local anesthetic solutions on plasma potassium levels during third molar surgery has been investigated in a single-blind cross-over study in twelve volunteers. The solutions employed were 2% lidocaine (xylocaine) containing 1:80,000 epinephrine and 3% prilocaine (Citanest) containing 0.03 IU/ml felypressin. The different treatments produced similar effects on blood pressure and heart rate. However, the effect on plasma potassium levels differed significantly in the early postinjection period.