Intra-arterial lidocaine: an effective analgesic for peripheral angiography.

Intra-arterial lidocaine was found to be an effective and safe method for reducing pain associated with peripheral angiography. A convenient method for delivery is to directly mix 2% lidocaine and contrast material in a ratio of 1:10 by volume. In a comparative evaluation, 25 of 29 patients experienced significantly less discomfort when the lidocaine-contrast mixture was used as compared to contrast material alone. There were no apparent complications from the use of intra-arterial lidocaine.