Lidocaine is a local anesthetic of the amino amide type, typically taking effect within several minutes and lasting from half an hour to three hours, and it is also used as a class Ib antiarrhythmic medication to treat ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. As a local anesthetic it blocks nerves from conducting signals to or from the brain; as an antiarrhythmic it blocks sodium channels in the heart, slowing the rate of contractions. A team led by chemist Nils Lofgren first synthesized the compound under the name xylocaine in 1943, with Inga Fischer credited as the first to synthesize it at large scale, and the Swedish company Astra first marketed it in 1948, making it the first amino amide-type local anesthetic. Lidocaine appears on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.
Facts
Drug ClassLocal anesthetic of the amino amide type 1 Mechanism of ActionAlters signal conduction in neurons by prolonging the inactivation of the fast voltage-gated sodium channels in the neuronal cell membrane responsible for action potential propagation 1 Approved UseVentricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, in addition to use as a local anesthetic 1 First Approved / Isolated Year Significant RiskOverdose can lead to severe toxicity or death (local anesthetic systemic toxicity) 1 Classification
Approval Status ATC ClassSourced to the subject's own account Route of Administration WHO Essential MedicineSourced to the subject's own account Sources
1. Lidocaine - Wikipedia
Lead section, first sentence
is a local anesthetic of the amino amide type
Article body, sentence beginning 'Lidocaine alters signal conduction in neurons'
Lidocaine alters signal conduction in neurons by prolonging the inactivation of the fast voltage-gated Na+ channels in the neuronal cell membrane responsible for action potential propagation.
Lead section, second sentence
It is also used to treat ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation.
Article body, sentence beginning 'It was first marketed in 1948'
It was first marketed in 1948 by Astra.
Article body, sentence beginning 'Such overdoses have often led to severe toxicity'
Such overdoses have often led to severe toxicity or death in both children and adults (local anesthetic systemic toxicity).
Lead section, route-of-administration statement
If injected intravenously, it may cause cerebral effects such as confusion, changes in vision, numbness, tingling, and vomiting.
- Regulatory approval status
View the Source2. Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFirst-level anatomical group codes, Code NQuote, First-level anatomical group codes, Code N
Nervous system
3. WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (Wikipedia)
WikipediaWHO Model List of Essential Medicines, Antiarrhythmic medicines sectionQuote, WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, Antiarrhythmic medicines section
Lidocaine
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.