A-fib and lidocaine

[refreshingred]

In the package insert for lidocaine it warns that "occasional acceleration of ventricular rate may occur when lidocaine HCL is administered to patients with atrial fibrillation." Why is that?

If lidocaine is Na channel blocker then i would *think* that it would slow AV conduction, b/c after all its blocking the pathway of the electrical signal. Someone please help. Thanks.

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[Mumpu]

IIRC lido is not an AV node blocker and like all anti-arrhythmics it can promote automaticity.