Establishing new clinical pathways and accomplishing change often takes a super-human effort in a complex health system. In terms of systemic lidocaine, the analgesic effects of systemic lidocaine are well recognized, but what is novel is the application of this therapy in an environment once thought to be inappropriate, that is, in the general inpatient units. In this month’s RAPM Focus, Editor-in-Chief Brian Sites, MD, joins Meagan Miller, APRN, MSN, AGACNP-BC, and Brian Allen, MD, to discuss their university-based study, “Safety of postoperative lidocaine infusions on general care wards without continuous cardiac monitoring in an established enhanced recovery program,” first published in January 2022 (https://rapm.bmj.com/content/47/5/320).

Meagan Miller graduated from the University of Alabama with her bachelor’s in nursing in 2012. She was then accepted into Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nurse Residency Program and joined the colorectal and general surgery floor, which sparked her interest in enhanced recovery after surgery, as it was the first floor to initiate lidocaine infusions outside of the ICU. She has her master’s in nursing science in adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner and first assist.

Dr. Brian Allen is an associate professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he directs the fellowship in regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine. He completed undergraduate in medical school at Washington University. He was a resident at Vanderbilt and did his regional fellowship at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) before returning to join the Vanderbilt faculty. His clinical focus is on regional and multimodal analgesia in ERAS pathways. His research interests include educational assessment, evaluating ERAS efficiency, efficacy and compliance, and opioid minimization.

*The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care, or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.