Intravenous lidocaine does not attenuate the haemodynamic response of children to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation.

The haemodynamic responses to laryngoscopy and intubation after induction of anaesthesia with thiopentone alone or in combination with 1.5 mg.kg-1 IV lidocaine were measured in 125 children age 2 to 12 yr to determine whether lidocaine administered one, two, three or four minutes before tracheal intubation attenuated the pressor response. Lidocaine did not attenuate the increases in heart rate and arterial blood pressure. The pressor response was significantly affected by baseline haemodynamic values, P less than 0.05. The increases in systolic and mean blood pressure were significantly affected by the age of the patient, P less than 0.05. Lidocaine is not a beneficial adjunct to induction of anaesthesia with thiopentone in healthy children for the purpose of attenuating the pressor response to intubation.