The effect of mixing lidocaine with propofol on the dose of propofol required for induction of anesthesia

Lidocaine is used to reduce pain associated with propofol injection, either mixed with propofol or preceding it as a separate injection. The addition of lidocaine to propofol causes destabilization of the emulsion and reduces anesthetic potency in rats and humans. We conducted a randomized double-blinded study on 67 patients to assess the effect of mixing lidocaine with propofol on the dose of propofol required for the induction of anesthesia. Patients in Group S (n = 32) received IV lidocaine 0.2 mg/kg followed by an infusion of propofol whereas those in Group M (n = 35) received IV normal saline (placebo) followed by an infusion of a freshly prepared mixture of propofol 1%/lidocaine 1% in 10:1 volume ratio. The infusion was stopped when the subjects lost consciousness, as detected by the syringe-drop method. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the mean (95% confidence interval) doses of propofol required for loss of consciousness: 2.0 (1.8-2.2) mg/kg for Group S versus 1.9 (1.7-2.0) mg/kg for Group M (P = 0.206). Mixing 20 mg of lidocame with 200 mg of propofol is unlikely to affect the dose of propofol required for the induction of anesthesia.