Lidocaine 1% or 2%

[dspring, RN]

Ok a little question for you all. What do you use in your lab Lidocaine 1% or 2%. I personally am a fan of 2% just because if the procedure goes on for awhile, the patient don't start having pain. One of the nurses I work with is afraid, the patient might get toxic if we use 2%. I told her since it is more concentrated we will most likely use less in the long run. Also we used to use 2% to repair large lacerations in the ED. My theory is in this day and age patients should be comfortable.

[dianah, ASN]

1% is choice of our Rads and Cards. "That's the way we've always done it." :) However, I'll have to poll them on WHY. Thanks for the brain shake.

BTW, does anyone know exactly how many mg/kg of Lidocaine sub-q would be a "toxic" dose??? -- D

[ShandyLynnRN, BSN, RN]

I remember taking care of a post op c section that was emergent, started before anesthesia got there, used 2 1/2 bottles of 1% lido for local, she was on precautions for toxicity

[RadRN2]

Only one of our Rads uses 2% and I'll bet its just out of long-time habit. Most of our pts seem to do fine with the 1%. The Rad will infiltrate the area with Marcaine 0.5% if the pt is having site pain or if the procedure is getting pretty long. A couple of our Rads use Bicarb to buffer the lidocaine, also. They swear it takes alot of the "sting" out of the Lido. I don't know if it really does or not and I'm not willing to be a guinea pig to find out!

[CCL"Babe", BSN, RN]

We use 1% unless we need more during a long procedure, then we switch to 2%.

[dspring, RN]

Lido really burns like ****. I have let the DR. Stitch up my forehead without lido, just cause the lido hurts more than the sutures.