patient to a healthy state. To reach these goals, the use of any anesthesia, including a local anesthetic such as lidocaine, requires an understanding of the most appropriate administration route. The negative effects of laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation are recognized to include increased heart rate and blood pressure. Lidocaine offers a solution to these problems, and an understanding of the most effective method of administration will be of assistance to the nurse anesthetist.
Lidocaine is given intravenously since it causes vasodilation due to direct smooth muscle relaxation thereby controlling heart rate and blood pressure (see Figure 1). The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) involves a network of neurons and fibers located in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Stimulation of the SNS results in the release of catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine). Epinephrine stimulates alpha and beta-ad
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