Lidocaine is most certainly a common anesthetic used for medical procedures such as dentistry and has minor uses of easing pain from burns or itching. For people who are allergic to Procaine, another local anesthetic, Lidocaine is the best choice. The effects of Lidocaine are long lasting and more effective than Procaine, allowing doctors to work for a longer time while being confident that the patient will not feel any pain. Despite the short lasting effect of Procaine, the side effects are extensive and sometimes extreme such as irregular heart beats, convulsions, and vomiting. For these reasons, Lidocaine already has greater benefits than similar anesthetics.
Indirectly, Lidocaine has rare side effects on its users. Animals injected with Lidocaine during their medical procedure must have a designated withdrawal period before any products from that animal can be made such as milk or meat. Due to the safety of consumers, the withdrawal periods must be followed strictly therefore only on rare cases will there be a product with a high residue concentration of Lidocaine. Lidocaine does not have any significant impact on the environment, which is a huge benefit.
The production of most compounds is going involve fumes being emitted into the atmosphere however there is no noted impact of Lidocaine production and the disposing process is completed by the local government, meaning it is done in a safe and environmentally safe manner. A raw material named 2,6-dimethylaciline is stated to be a potential carcinogen though studies show that the excretion process of Lidocaine in the average body is quick and will not cause harm unless in a rare case.
Overall, Lidocaine is an overall beneficial compound causing no serious harm unless used carelessly and without supervision or made without the proper equipment and precautions. If problems consistently surfaced, Lidocaine would not be so commonly used and many restrictions would be placed upon its usage. Alternatives such as Procaine have already been discovered and experimented but Lidocaine seems to be the most favourable choice which is why I think the positives of Lidocaine most certainly overshadow the risks.
Indirectly, Lidocaine has rare side effects on its users. Animals injected with Lidocaine during their medical procedure must have a designated withdrawal period before any products from that animal can be made such as milk or meat. Due to the safety of consumers, the withdrawal periods must be followed strictly therefore only on rare cases will there be a product with a high residue concentration of Lidocaine. Lidocaine does not have any significant impact on the environment, which is a huge benefit.
The production of most compounds is going involve fumes being emitted into the atmosphere however there is no noted impact of Lidocaine production and the disposing process is completed by the local government, meaning it is done in a safe and environmentally safe manner. A raw material named 2,6-dimethylaciline is stated to be a potential carcinogen though studies show that the excretion process of Lidocaine in the average body is quick and will not cause harm unless in a rare case.
Overall, Lidocaine is an overall beneficial compound causing no serious harm unless used carelessly and without supervision or made without the proper equipment and precautions. If problems consistently surfaced, Lidocaine would not be so commonly used and many restrictions would be placed upon its usage. Alternatives such as Procaine have already been discovered and experimented but Lidocaine seems to be the most favourable choice which is why I think the positives of Lidocaine most certainly overshadow the risks.