Tumescent infiltration of lidocaine and adrenaline for burn surgery [L'infiltration tumescente de lidocaïne et adrénaline dans le traitement chirur-gical des brûlures]

Abstract

Tumescent infiltration is a widely used type of regional anaesthesia for cutaneous surgery. This technique makes it possible to administer high doses of lidocaine and adrenaline within the safety limits, leading to reduction in pain and bleeding during the operation. In this study, tumescent infiltration of lidocaine and adrenaline was used in routine procedures of burn surgery such as escharectomy, debridement, tangential excision, and skin grafting. In 17 patients with scald and flame burns, tumescent infiltration was performed prior to surgical procedures under either general anaesthesia or intravenous sedation. After 15 minutes, escharectomy, debridement of necrotic tissues, tangential excision of the burned skin, removal of the granulation tissue, and harvesting of the skin graft were performed. No complications occurred. All vital signs remained within safety limits during the operations. Haemorrhage was minimal and the operations were thus performed easily and rapidly. During removal of granulation tissue, very little blood loss occurred so that both the excision of granulation tissue and skin grafting were accomplished rapidly because of the minimal need of severe haemostasis. The duration of surgery was considerably reduced. No haematoma or bruising developed after surgery. No blood transfusions were required as the decline in haematocrit levels was not more than 3%. Postoperative analgesia was excellent for the first 8 h, eliminating the need of additional measures. Tumescent infiltration of adrenaline and lidocaine is a simple, effective and safe technique which facilitates anaesthesia in large areas of the burned body surface and leads to less bleeding and easy surgical dissection and hydrodissection, allowing fast, easy and painless burn surgery.