adrenaline acid tartrate + lidocaine hydrochloride at a glance
Medicine class
Amide local anaesthetic with a vasoconstrictor
Licensed use
Regional anaesthesia in adults and young people over 12 years
Administration
Injected by an appropriately trained healthcare professional; it must not be given intravenously
After treatment
Protect the numb area from injury and follow the procedure team's advice about driving
What is adrenaline acid tartrate + lidocaine hydrochloride used for?
The selected product is licensed for:
Regional anaesthesia in adults and children over 12 years, including local infiltration and nerve-block techniques performed by trained clinicians.
How does adrenaline acid tartrate + lidocaine hydrochloride work?
Lidocaine temporarily prevents local nerves from transmitting pain signals. Adrenaline narrows nearby blood vessels, reducing lidocaine absorption from the injection site and extending its local anaesthetic action.
How to take adrenaline acid tartrate + lidocaine hydrochloride
This is a procedural injection administered by a trained doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. It is usually injected near the area or nerves to be numbed, with monitoring available. Until sensation returns, take care to avoid pressure, heat or injury to the numb area.
Tell the clinician immediately about unusual sensations, dizziness, visual disturbance, ringing in the ears or breathing difficulty during administration.
Follow the procedure team's instructions about movement, eating, drinking and driving, as these depend on the block and any additional anaesthetic or sedation.
adrenaline acid tartrate + lidocaine hydrochloride side effects
Common or expected effects
- Pins and needles or altered sensation
- Dizziness
- Slow heart rate
- Low or high blood pressure
- Nausea or vomiting
Get urgent medical advice
- Severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis
- Local-anaesthetic toxicity, including mouth tingling, tongue numbness, tinnitus, visual disturbance, tremor or seizures
- Breathing depression
- Serious abnormal heart rhythm, profound cardiovascular effects or cardiac arrest
- Persistent nerve symptoms or nerve injury
adrenaline acid tartrate + lidocaine hydrochloride in pregnancy
Tell the clinician if you are pregnant or may be pregnant. The product information advises avoiding lidocaine in early pregnancy unless the expected benefit outweighs the risk. Adrenaline can reduce uterine blood flow and contractility if it enters the maternal circulation, and some obstetric blocks require fetal-heart monitoring.
adrenaline acid tartrate + lidocaine hydrochloride while breastfeeding
Lidocaine enters breast milk in small amounts that are generally not expected to affect the infant; adrenaline is also considered unlikely to affect a breastfed child. NHS information states that local anaesthetics are compatible with breastfeeding, but the treating clinician should still know if the baby was premature, unwell or jaundiced.
adrenaline acid tartrate + lidocaine hydrochloride interactions
Tell the anaesthetist or clinician about all medicines before the procedure, particularly:
Other local anaesthetics or related anti-arrhythmics such as mexiletine
Systemic toxic effects may be additive.
Amiodarone and other class III anti-arrhythmics
Cardiac effects may be additive, so closer surveillance and ECG monitoring may be considered.
Non-selective beta-blockers such as propranolol
They can intensify adrenaline's blood-pressure effect, causing severe hypertension and slow heart rate.
Common questions about adrenaline acid tartrate + lidocaine hydrochloride
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Why is adrenaline acid tartrate combined with lidocaine hydrochloride?
Adrenaline narrows blood vessels near the injection site, reducing lidocaine absorption and extending its local numbing effect.
Is this an emergency adrenaline injection?
No. This combination is a local or regional anaesthetic injection and is not licensed as emergency treatment for anaphylaxis.
Sources
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Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.