Annals of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Prehospital prophylactic lidocaine does not favorably affect outcome in patients with chest pain.
The purpose of our study was to determine the morbidity and mortality in initially stable patients presenting to paramedics with chest pain; to examine possible beneficial effects of its use, including reduction of sudden death syndrome in the prehospital and emergency department setting; and to determine if prophylactic lidocaine is associated with adverse effects in this patient population. ⋯ There are no benefits from the administration of prehospital prophylactic lidocaine in stable patients with chest pain; therefore, routine use in this setting appears unwarranted.