Hesperian Health Guides
Medicines for Numbing
Lidocaine, Lignocaine
Lidocaine is an anesthetic that can be injected around the edges of a wound to make the area numb so it will not hurt. This is useful before cleaning or stitching up a wound.
Lidocaine often comes in a 2% solution which is 20 mg of lidocaine per ml. If you have a different percent (%) solution, adjust the amount you use.
How to use
Slowly inject into and under the skin around where you are going to cut or sew, at points about 1 cm apart. Inject the lidocaine close to the surface of the skin. Use about 1 ml of lidocaine for each 2 cm of skin. Do not use more than 20 ml.
This page was updated:05 Jan 2024