Increase Seen in Reports of Lidocaine Poisonings and Mortality Since 2010
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, July 25, 2025 -- Local anesthetic poisoning reports decreased following publication of advisories in 2010, but reports of lidocaine poisoning and mortality have increased, according to a study published online July 21 in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.
Michael Fettiplace, Ph.D., from the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine, and colleagues examined whether reports of local anesthesia-related poisoning and mortality have decreased since the publication of advisories for treating local anesthetic systemic toxicity in 2010. Reports were obtained from the American Poison Centers National Poison Data System. To examine the effect of the 2010 recommendations, a case-noncase disproportionality analysis was conducted using the reporting odds ratio (ROR), comparing reports of poisoning and death from 2011 to 2022 relative to 2001 to 2010.
The researchers found that reports of local anesthesia poisoning decreased in the decade following the introduction of recommendations, relative to the prior decade (ROR, 0.77 for 2011 to 2020 versus 2001 to 2010), driven by a decrease in non-lidocaine-related reports. Conversely, after 2010, reports of lidocaine poisoning and lidocaine mortality increased (ROR, 2.7). There was a decrease noted in reports of death in the operating room, from 47 percent before 2010 to 15 percent after 2010 in a case analysis; an increase was seen in reports of death from intravenous lidocaine delivery (3 to 27 percent).
"These findings highlight the need for enhanced administrative guidance on lidocaine use, greater awareness of the risks of high doses of lidocaine, and improved strategies for preventing and managing severe lidocaine-induced toxicity," the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to ResQ Pharma.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2025
Read this next
No Link Found for Preprocedural Fasting and Witnessed Pulmonary Aspiration
WEDNESDAY, July 2, 2025 -- For patients undergoing surgical procedures, there is no association between liberal preprocedural fasting policies and witnessed aspiration, according...
Preop Macular Thickness May Be Marker of Postop Delirium in Seniors
FRIDAY, April 4, 2025 -- In older patients undergoing surgery, preoperative macular thickness may be a marker for vulnerability to developing postoperative delirium, according to...
AAOS: Stopping GLP-1 RAs 14 Days Before Surgery Can Minimize Complications
TUESDAY, March 11, 2025 -- Stopping glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) treatment 14 days before total joint arthroplasty can minimize risks for complications...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.