Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Buffered versus plain lidocaine for digital nerve blocks

J M Bartfield1, D T Ford, P J Homer

  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Albany Medical College, New York.

Annals of Emergency Medicine
|February 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary

Buffered lidocaine significantly reduces pain during digital nerve blocks compared to plain lidocaine. This finding suggests buffered lidocaine is a preferable anesthetic for adult patients undergoing digital nerve blocks.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Benzyl alcohol with epinephrine as an alternative to lidocaine with epinephrine.

The Journal of emergency medicine·2001
Same author

Home antipyretic use in children brought to the emergency department.

Pediatric emergency care·2001
Same author

Empiric treatment of gonorrhea and chlamydia in the ED.

The American journal of emergency medicine·2001
Same author

Accuracy of estimation of external blood loss by EMS personnel.

The Journal of trauma·2001
Same author

Outcomes of admitted geriatric trauma victims.

The American journal of emergency medicine·2000
Same author

Geriatric trauma: outcomes of elderly patients discharged from the ED.

The American journal of emergency medicine·1999

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Pain Management
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Digital nerve blocks are common procedures in emergency medicine.
  • Plain lidocaine can cause significant pain upon injection, potentially impacting patient comfort and cooperation.
  • Optimizing anesthetic techniques for pain reduction is crucial for patient satisfaction and procedural success.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the pain associated with buffered lidocaine versus plain lidocaine during digital nerve blocks.
  • To evaluate the efficacy and patient-reported pain of buffered lidocaine for digital anesthesia.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized, double-blind, prospective clinical trial was conducted in a university hospital emergency department.
  • Adult participants requiring a digital nerve block received injections of buffered and plain lidocaine on contralateral sides in a randomized order.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Pain scores for infiltration were assessed and compared using a two-tailed t-test.

    • Main Results:

    • Buffered lidocaine was found to be significantly less painful to administer than plain lidocaine (P < .001).
    • Supplemental anesthesia was needed less frequently with buffered lidocaine (2 instances) compared to plain lidocaine (6 instances), though this difference was not statistically significant.
    • Thirty-one patients were enrolled in the study, providing adequate statistical power for the primary outcome.

    Conclusions:

    • Buffered lidocaine is a less painful and equally effective alternative to plain lidocaine for digital nerve blocks in adults.
    • The findings support the use of buffered lidocaine to improve patient comfort during digital anesthesia procedures.
    • This study highlights the importance of anesthetic formulation in minimizing procedural pain in emergency settings.