"Doom anxiety" and delirium in lidocaine toxicity.

Of 15 patients with psychiatric reactions to lidocaine, 12 (80%) had mood changes, 11 (73%) had "doom anxiety," eight (53%) had overt confusional states, and six (40%) had hallucinations and delusions. The authors contend that morbid fears of impending doom or the belief that death has occurred are specific manifestations of lidocaine toxicity and may be mistakenly attributed to "understandable" fears about death during the course of recovery from a myocardial infarction on the coronary care unit.