Reduction of pain perception with the administration of 1% lidocaine and 7.5% bicarbonate vs. conventional 1% lidocaine

Background: Unintentional injuries are one of the leading causes of health care in Mexico. Infiltrative local anesthesia is essential for performing painless procedures, optimizing wound closure, reducing morbidity, and improving hemostasis. Objective: Evaluate the reduction in pain perception when comparing the administration of 1% lidocaine alone versus its combination with 7.5% bicarbonate. Material and methods: An experimental, cross-sectional, single-blind study was conducted on 105 healthy volunteer participants. Each participant received 1% lidocaine in the radial region of the right arm and a combination of 1% lidocaine and 7.5% bicarbonate in the same area of the left arm. Pain perception was measured using a numerical scale, and the results were analyzed with the Student’s t test. Results: A statistically significant difference was found in pain perception, with higher pain scores in the arm receiving lidocaine alone (M: 3.04; SD: 2.105) compared to the arm receiving the combination (M: 2.08; SD: 1.466; t = 4.01; p < 0.001; d = 0.405). Conclusions: The combination of 1% lidocaine with 7.5% bicarbonate significantly reduced pain perception in healthy individuals compared to 1% lidocaine alone.