A Study of Epinephrine Effect on End Organ Necrosis in 54 Simulated Samples of Rabbits’ Ears by Pure Experimental Method in the Animal Laboratory of 15 Khordad Hospital of Shahid Beheshty University from 2006 till 2007

One of the basic rules that all physician know is the danger of epinephrine injection in end organs. This article investigates the necroses of end organs following epinephrine injection in various concentrations.

This double blind pure experimental study has been done on 54 simulated samples of 9 rabbits’ ears. Under general anesthesia, the surgeons divided rabbits’ ears into 3 lobs, each lobe being nourished only by one end artery. Pure lidocaine of 1% and lidocaine of 1% concentrations with epinephrine in 3 concentrations (1:200000, 1:100000, 1:50000) was injected, andnecrosis or viability of end organs was evaluated by physical examination after 48 hours.

In the first and second group for which epinephrine concentration were 1:200000 and 1:100000, necrosis was not seen. In third group for which epinephrine concentration was 1:50000, 4 necrosis were seen among 9 cases (36%- P=0.08).

Epinephrine injection with 1:100000 and 1:200000 concentrations in end organs is absolutely safe, but with 1:50000 concentrations is clinically unsafe. Xylocain-epinephrine solution lower than 1:50000 can be used safely as a chemical tourniquet.