‘Incredibly rare’ anaesthetic adverse effect blamed for patient’s death
Danielle Cadan, 51, had received lidocaine before with no adverse effects.
This article has been updated. The original headline referred to a topical anaesthetic, which was incorrect. AusDoc apologises for the error.
A 51-year-old died from methaemoglobinaemia following a therapeutic dose of lidocaine despite having received the anaesthetic before, a coroner has found.
Victorian coroner Katherine Lorenz said the rare adverse event showed that patients who felt unexpectedly lethargic after taking any medication should seek emergency medical care.
“Nothing in medicine, nor in life, is completely free of risk,” she wrote in her findings.
