Lidocaine (lignocaine)
Chemical name: 2-Diethylaminoaceto-2´,6´-xylidide
Molecular formula: C₁₄H₂₂N₂O

Lidocaine is an amide derivative of cocaine, developed in the early 1940s as an alternative to procaine.^8,10 As is the case with procaine, lidocaine is safer than cocaine.¹⁰ It has a more rapid onset of action and more extended duration of action compared to procaine.⁸ Lidocaine is effective when used via injection and topically.⁴ These advantages lead to lidocaine largely replacing procaine as a local anaesthetic. Lidocaine is also used as an antiarrhythmic drug.⁴ The development of lidocaine lead to the development of other anaesthetics based on the amine chemical group such as mepivacaine and bupivacaine.

* Image from http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/chemidheavy.jsp [07/07/05].
** Image from https://www1.vaxserve.com/views/images/photo/3178-03.jpg [08/07/05].

© William V. 2005. All rights reserved.