Comparison of 0.5% and 1.0% lidocaine for abortions

The objective of this study was to determine whether it is possible to reduce the concentration of lidocaine without increasing the pain experienced by women undergoing abortion under local anesthesia. According to an informal survey at the National Abortion Federation meeting in April 1995, the most common dose of local anesthetic used for abortion was 20 ml l.O”/ lidocaine. The manufacturer’s maximum recommended dose of lidocaine is 4.5 mglkg so this dose of 200 mg is close to the toxic dose, especially for small women. Therapeutic abortions are very safe but anesthetic reactions are the most common cause of abortionrelated death [1,2]. If it is possible to reduce the concentration of lidocaine without increasing the amount of pain experienced, the dose could be reduced below that known to cause toxic reactions.