Alkalisation of Lignocaine-Adrenaline Reduces the Amount of Pain During Subcutaneous Injection of Local Anaesthetic

Abstract

A double blind, randomised controlled trial was performed to compare the amount of pain experienced after subcutaneous infiltration of lignocaine with adrenaline, and the same anaesthetic buffered to pH 7.1-7.3, in patients undergoing liposuction (n = 8), blepharoplasty (n = 7), mammaplasty (n = 6), and in volunteers (n = 10). A linear analogue pain scale was used to access pain. In all four groups the buffered solution caused significantly less pain (p < 0.001 except for mammaplasty—p = 0.02).

Key Words:

• local anaesthetics
• lignocaine
• pain
• sodium bicarbonate
• pain analogue scale