CLINICAL SAFETY OF LIDOCAINE IN PATIENTS WITH COCAINE-ASSOCIATED MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION

Study objective: To evaluate the safety of lidocaine in the setting of cocaine-induced myocardial infarction (MI). Design: A retrospective, multicenter study. Setting: Twenty-nine university, university-affilia ted, or community hospitals during a 6-year period (total of 117 cumul ative hospital-years). Participants: Patients with cocaine-associated MI who received lidocaine in the emergency department. Results: Of 29 patients who received lidocaine in the setting of cocaine-associated M I, no patient died; exhibited brady-dyshythmias, ventricular tachycard ia, or ventricular fibrillation; or experienced seizures after adminis tration of lidocaine (95% confidence interval, 0% to 11%). Conclusion: Despite theoretical concerns that lidocaine may enhance cocaine toxic ity, the use of lidocaine in patients with cocaine-associated MI was n ot associated with significant cardiovascular or central nervous syste m toxicity.