A Comparison of Buffered and Non-Buffered 2% Lidocaine With Epinephrine, a Pilot Study

Pain perception of a new Ahmad‐Humayun solution for local anesthesia in hair transplantation: One step ahead

“…Lidocaine is widely used and is available in different concentrations with and without epinephrine 7 . Lidocaine with epinephrine is acidic with pH 3.5, to extend shelf‐life, and is buffered by the patient's tissue fluids to a neutral pH when injected 8 . Only the nonionized drug crosses the nerve membrane to effect anesthesia.…”

“…Only the nonionized drug crosses the nerve membrane to effect anesthesia. At pH 7.4, about half of the drug is un‐ionized and buffering with bicarbonate just prior to injection increases the active drug available to cross nerve membrane 8 …”

“…7 Lidocaine with epinephrine is acidic with pH 3.5, to extend shelf-life, and is buffered by the patient's tissue fluids to a neutral pH when injected. 8 Only the nonionized drug crosses the nerve membrane to effect anesthesia. At pH 7.4, about half of the drug is un-ionized and buffering with bicarbonate just prior to injection increases the active drug available to cross nerve membrane.…”

“…At pH 7.4, about half of the drug is un-ionized and buffering with bicarbonate just prior to injection increases the active drug available to cross nerve membrane. 8 The administration of relatively pain-free local anesthesia plays a key role in hair restoration surgery. The ability of a physician to perform a relatively pain-free procedure results in an advantage over the competitors who do not give much attention to the local anesthesia administration.…”