Lignocaine Health Dictionary

A local anaesthetic given by injection, previously called lignocaine. It is also used in the treatment of certain disorders of cardiac rhythm known as ventricular arrhythmias which may be particularly dangerous following a coronary thrombosis (see HEART, DISEASES OF).... lidocaine

One of the ANTIARRHYTHMIC DRUGS given by intravenous injection after myocardial infarction to restore supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias to normal, particularly when patients have not responded to lidocaine (lignocaine). It can impair the contractility of heart muscle and it does have an antimuscarinic e?ect (see ANTIMUSCARINE); consequently its administration has to be undertaken with care, especially in patients with GLAUCOMA or enlargement.... disopyramide

A group of drugs used to prevent or treat arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). This group includes those given intravenously in hospital to treat arrhythmias that are causing symptoms such as breathlessness or chest pain. Adenosine and bretyllium are examples of drugs used only in hospital.

A number of drugs are used to prevent intermittent arrhythmias or to slow the rate if an arrhythmia is persistent. These include amiodarone, beta-blocker drugs, calcium channel blockers, digitalis drugs, disopyramide, flecainide, lidocaine (lignocaine), mexiletine, and procainamide. Side effects are common and often include nausea and rash. Some antiarrhythmics can result in tiredness or breathlessness because they reduce the heart’s pumping ability.... antiarrhythmic drugs

A length of thread or other material used for ligation.lightening A feeling experienced by many pregnant women when the baby’s head descends into the pelvic cavity. Lightening usually occurs in the final 3 weeks of pregnancy, leaving more space in the upper abdomen and relieving pressure under the diaphragm. light treatment See phototherapy. lignocaine Former name for lidocaine. limb, artificial An artificial leg or arm, known medically as a prosthesis, which is fitted to replace a limb that has been missing from birth or lost as a result of amputation (see limb defects).... ligature

n. unexplained vulval pain, often coupled with sexual dysfunction and psychological disorder, which is often described by the patient as a burning stinging sensation and/or rawness. Cyclic vulvodynia occurs in relation to menstruation or coitus and is thought to be due to changes in vaginal pH that make the vulva more susceptible to infection. Essential (or dysaesthetic) vulvodynia is thought to be due to an altered perception of cutaneous pain, like postherpetic *neuralgia. Treatment of essential vulvodynia is with tricyclic antidepressants at night, biofeedback, vestibulectomy, cognitive behavioural therapy, topical capsaicin cream, lignocaine gel, and good skin care.... vulvodynia