Lidocaine elimination in patients with liver cirrhosis.

The aim of the study was to evaluate lidocaine elimination in patients with liver cirrhosis. The study was carried out in 30 cirrhotic patients classified according to the Child-Pugh's score to subgroups A (n=11). B (n=12) and C (n=7), and 14 healthy volunteers. Lidocaine was administered intravenously, at a dose of I mg/kg, and blood samples for lidocaine and monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) assays were collected for up to 6 h. Decreased elimination half-live for lidocaine as well as reduced formation rate of MEGX was found in cirrhotic patients. Lidocaine metabolising capacity of the liver was irrespective of etiology of cirrhosis. It was also found that evaluation of elimination half-life of lidocaine is more closely related to the Child-Pugh's staging of liver dysfunction than 15-minute MEGX concentration.