Contributor: Sam Killian, MD

Educational Pearls:

Classic dogma teaching that epinephrine should not be used in the fingers, nose, penis, and toes when performing local anesthesia due to concerns for ischemia is wrong
This has been well documented in multiple literature reviews
A prospective, randomized double-blind study compared lidocaine vs lidocaine with epinephrine for finger injuries and the use of epinephrine was associated with less bleeding and better anesthesia

Editor's note: in the lidocaine without epinephrine group, 5 (not 7) needed additional dosing of local anesthesia. The groups were also split 29 for lidocaine alone and 31 for lidocaine with epinephrine but we're in a pandemic so who is noticing anyways

References

1. Wilhelmi, B.J., et al. Do not use epinephrine in digital blocks: myth or truth? Plast Reconstr Surg. 2001 Feb;107(2):393-7.
2. Ilicki, J. Safety of Epinephrine in Digital Nerve Blocks: A Literature Review. J Emerg Med. 2015 Nov;49(5):799-809. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2015.05.038. Epub 2015 Aug 4.
3. Walsh, K., Baker, B.G., Iyer, S. Adrenaline Auto-injector injuries to digits; a systematic review and recommendations for emergency management. 2020 Feb 8. pii: S1479-666X(20)30016-0. doi: 10.1016/j.surge.2020.01.005.

Summarized by Jackson Roos, MS3 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD

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