Intravenous lidocaine for the treatment of acute pain in the emergency department.

Objective: To evaluate intravenous lidocaine's safety and efficacy as an analgesic agent in the treatment of a variety of painful conditions presenting to the emergency department.

Methods: This case series identified seventeen patients who received lidocaine over a six month period and recorded demographic data, amount of lidocaine administered, the amount of opioid medication administered before and after lidocaine, pre- and post-lidocaine pain scores, and any qualitative descriptors of the patient's pain recorded in the record. Side effects and adverse events were also recorded.