1. Lidocaine, xylocaine, or lignocaine is a common local anesthetic and class-1b antiarrhythmic drug. Lidocaine is used topically to relieve itching, burning, and pain from skin inflammations, injected as a dental anesthetic, or as a local anesthetic for minor surgery.
2.It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, a list of the most important medications needed in a basic healthcare system.
3. Lidocaine is the most important class-1b antiarrhythmic drug; it is used intravenously for the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias if amiodarone is not available or contraindicated.
4. Lidocaine should be given for this indication after defibrillation, CPR, and vasopressors have been initiated. A routine prophylactic administration is no longer recommended for acute cardiac infarction; the overall benefit of this measure is not convincing.