Opioid and Hypnotic Free Anaesthetic Technique for Colonoscopy- Intravenous Lidocaine Infusion in a Frail Patient

Opioids and hypnotic drugs have undesired side effects including sedation and respiratory depression, which makes these drugs unsuitable in some clinical situations. Lidocaine is a local analgesic with anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperalgic properties, with a promissory applicability in everyday anaesthesia cases. Authors present a case of an urgent colonoscopy procedure on a 67-year-old patient with a pulmonary neoplasm and respiratory insufficiency, managed with lidocaine bolus and infusion, without additional anaesthetic drugs. Good analgesia was achieved and hemodynamic stability was maintained throughout the procedure. The technique was considered satisfactory to the patient and the medical team. This case report suggests that lidocaine seems to provide adequate level of consciousness and analgesia without respiratory depression for colonoscopy procedures, which might be crucial in a frail population.