ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effect of low dose intravenous lidocaine during tracheal intubation with atracurium. Forty patients were studied in double blind, randomized groups. Intravenous lidocaine, 1 mg/kg, or saline was given to the patients three minutes before induction. This result showed there is no difference about the intubation condition between these groups. The changes in mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate after laryngoscopy and intubation were similar in both groups. However, the lidocaine group had a shorter time to have 75% twitch depression (when the first twitch of train of four equals 25% of the original height) than the control group (p less than 0.05). The addition of intravenous lidocaine 1 mg/kg during induction has no significant advantage although it can shorten the intubation time.
