Pink lady (medicine)

In medicine, pink lady is a term used for a drug cocktail used to treat gastroesophageal reflux. It usually consists of an antacid and the anaesthetic lidocaine. Some variants contain an anticholinergic. The name of the preparation comes from its colour – pink.

Pink ladies often relieve symptoms for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, they are generally believed to be insufficient to diagnose GERD and rule-out other causes of chest pain and/or abdominal pain such as myocardial infarction (heart attack).[1]

The pink lady is the defacto term describing xylocaine viscous and a liquid antacid such as Maalox for treating emergency room patients to help determine if the chest pains are either heart or digestive related. Emergency room doctors instruct attending nurses to administer the pink lady, which is actually 10 mL of xylocaine viscous jelly and 20 mL of liquid antacid such as Maalox, or Mylanta, administered orally. Esophageal symptoms may subside indicating that the symptoms could be non-cardiac. If symptoms persist, the attending doctor investigates further for cardiac or other disorders.

References

  1. ↑ Newsletter -- Don't be seduced by the Pink Lady. College of Physicians & Surgeons of Nova Scotia. 2003; Autumn. Available at: http://cpsns.ns.ca/newsletters/alert-autumn-2003.htm. Accessed on: December 8, 2006.
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