Question

What are the symptoms of lidocaine/local anesthetic toxicity?

1) Nausea and vomiting
2) Dizziness and confusion
3) Seizures and cardiac arrest
4) All of the above

Answer 1

Local anesthetics like lidocaine can cause various symptoms ranging from mild effects like Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, seizures and cardiac arrest.

The correct answer is options 4.

Step-by-step explanation:

The symptoms of lidocaine or other local anesthetic toxicity can be quite severe and encompass a range of systemic effects. These symptoms can include, but are not limited to: miosis (pinpoint pupils), blurred or dim vision, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive sweating, muscle twitching or fasciculations, dyspnea (difficulty breathing), and in more severe cases, seizures and even cardiac arrest. So, to answer the student's question, all of the above are potential symptoms of local anesthetic toxicity.

Local anesthetics like lidocaine work by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels on neurons. This action prevents the influx of sodium ions that is necessary for generating an action potential, which means that no pain signal can be transmitted along the nerve fibers to the brain. It is this blocking of nerve conduction that provides the analgesic, or pain-relieving, effect making these drugs effective local anesthetics.

So, The correct answer is options 4.