Plasma lidocaine levels following paracervical infiltration for aspiration abortion

Convulsive morbidity has been associated with use of local anesthetics in a paracervical block performed for suction curettage. This complication appears to result from toxic blood levels of the local anesthetics employed. To evaluate the time course of lidocaine plasma levels following paracervical infiltration, plasma lidocaine determinations were obtained in 25 patients undergoing suction curettage without laminaria pretreatment and in 24 patients undergoing suction curettage after laminaria pretreatment. Paracervical block was administered using using 90 to 100 mg of lidocaine. Mean plasma lidocaine levels were higher in the laminaria group than in the group without laminaria. No patient reached clinically toxic drug levels. At the dosages employed, paracervical block appears to be a safe anesthetic for suction abortion procedures.