A 23-year-old man comes to the emergency department because of a 3-day history of painful swelling of the right thigh. There is no associated recent trauma. Physical examination shows a 4 × 3-cm area of induration that is fluctuant and warm to the touch, consistent with an abscess. The patient consents to incision and drainage of the abscess in the emergency department. Prior to laceration repair with suture, lidocaine is injected in the subcutaneous tissue around the laceration. The patient reports immediate relief of pain, and there is loss of sensation to touch in the area infiltrated with the medication. These effects are most likely due to which of the following changes within the affected neurons?

Question

A 23-year-old man comes to the emergency department because of a 3-day history of painful swelling of the right thigh. There is no associated recent trauma. Physical examination shows a 4 × 3-cm area of induration that is fluctuant and warm to the touch, consistent with an abscess. The patient consents to incision and drainage of the abscess in the emergency department.   Prior to laceration repair with suture, lidocaine is injected in the subcutaneous tissue around the laceration.  The patient reports immediate relief of pain, and there is loss of sensation to touch in the area infiltrated with the medication.  These effects are most likely due to which of the following changes within the affected neurons?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Local anesthetics diffuse through the neuronal cell membrane to block the influx of sodium into the cell. This prevents depolarization and inhibits action potential propagation

A 23-Year-Old Man Comes to the Emergency Department Because of a 3-Day