Toxicity of topical lidocaine applied to the breasts to reduce discomfort during screening mammography.

Background: We measured the effect of 30 milliliters (mL) of 4% lidocaine gel on the breasts and chest wall of healthy women covered for 1 h on plasma concentrations of lidocaine and its principal metabolite, monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX), electrocardiogram (EKG) results, and adverse events.

Materials And Methods: This institutional review board-approved, prospective, open-label study complied with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The study evaluated 10 healthy women aged 42-75 years with 30 mL of 4% lidocaine gel on the skin of the breasts and chest wall covered for 1 h.

Echocardiography improves detection of rejection after heterotopic mouse cardiac transplantation.

Background: Current assessments of cardiac rejection in murine transplant models rely on subjective estimates of the force of the palpable heart beat that have limited sensitivity and precision.

Methods: We used 2-dimensional echocardiography to evaluate changes in left ventricular posterior wall thickness (PWT) in a heterotopic cardiac mouse transplant model of rejection. Nine allografts and 6 isografts were imaged daily for 6 days and harvested.