Lidocaine

Lidocaine is a medication that blocks voltage-gated sodium channels, producing local anesthesia and suppressing certain abnormal heart rhythms.

Voltage-gated sodium channel: A membrane protein that opens in response to voltage changes, allowing sodium ions to cross cell membranes. Lidocaine binds these channels and reduces sodium entry, limiting electrical signaling.
Local anesthetic: A drug that reversibly blocks sensation in a limited area by inhibiting nerve conduction. Lidocaine is widely used as an injectable, topical, and mucosal local anesthetic.
Bupivacaine: A long-acting amide local anesthetic that blocks voltage-gated sodium channels. Bupivacaine generally lasts longer than lidocaine and carries greater risk of severe cardiac toxicity.
Amide local anesthetic: A local anesthetic containing an amide linkage, generally metabolized mainly in the liver. Lidocaine belongs to this structural and pharmacological group.
Use-dependent sodium-channel blocker: A drug that blocks ion channels more strongly when they open or activate repeatedly. Lidocaine preferentially affects rapidly firing tissue because its block depends on channel activity.
Nerve block: An injection of anesthetic near a nerve or nerve bundle to interrupt sensation in its distribution. Lidocaine can produce regional numbness when deposited near peripheral nerves.
Mepivacaine: An amide local anesthetic used for infiltration and regional anesthesia. Mepivacaine has similar anesthetic uses but differs in duration and metabolism.
Local anesthetic systemic toxicity: A potentially life-threatening reaction to systemic absorption or overdose of local anesthetics. Lidocaine can cause this syndrome when blood concentrations become excessive.
Action potential: A rapid, transient change in a cell’s membrane voltage that carries electrical signals. Lidocaine’s channel blockade slows the upstroke of action potentials in nerves and cardiac cells.
Topical anesthetic: A medication applied to skin or mucous membranes to reduce sensation at the surface. Topical lidocaine treats localized pain and numbs surfaces before procedures.

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