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. 1987 Jan-Feb;34(1):10–13.

Plasma Epinephrine Levels and Cardiovascular Response to High Administered Doses of Epinephrine in Local Anesthesia

Emanuel S Troullos, David S Goldstein, Kenneth M Hargreaves, Raymond A Dionne
PMCID: PMC2186227  PMID: 3472472

Abstract

The effects of administering an epinephrine-containing local anesthetic on plasma catecholamine levels and cardiovascular parameters were evaluated. Significant elevations were observed following administration of 8 dental cartridges of 2% lidocaine with epinephrine 1:100,000 (144 μg) throughout the 20 minute observation period, while minimal changes were observed in the patients who received 6 cartridges of 3% mepivicaine. One minute after injection, the mean plasma epinephrine level in the group receiving epinephrine was 27.5 times higher than baseline. Concurrent elevations in systolic pressure (15%), heart rate (33%), and the rate-pressure product (52%) were also observed. These results indicate that significant amounts of epinephrine can be systemically absorbed following intraoral injection and the absorbed epinephrine can alter the cardiovascular status of the patient.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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