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 of digestive related. Emergency room doctors instruct attending nurses to administer the pink lady, which is five mls of xylocaine viscous and 25 mls of liquid antacid such as Maalox. A nurse administers to the patient orally and within 5 – 10 minutes, esophageal symptoms will subside indicating that the symptoms are non-cardiac. The attending doctor is able to rule out esophageal and investigate further for cardiac or other disorders.
Dr. Walter Chrystoja coined the term pink lady at York Finch General Hospital in Toronto, Canada, in 1985 as the shift Emergency Physician, in charge of the Emergency Department treating chest pain patients on a very busy shift. The nursing staff quickly understood and because of the teaching nature of the hospital, the term stuck and is now a defacto throughout North American Emergency departments. Military interns from Eastern Canada regularly trained at York Finch and adopted the pink lady. They exported the term and it became prevalent in Eastern Canada. Dr. Chrystoja also began using the term at the other Toronto area hospital emergency departments where he practised, namely Centenary Hospital and Scarborough Grace Hospital. Originating at York Finch General Hospital, spreading to the hospitals in Eastern Canada, and to other Toronto are hospitals, the term pink lady as an essential diagnostic tool for chest pain is now common throughout North America.
Dr. Chrystoja was the first emergency doctor to use the pink lady as a diagnostic tool also created the formula 5 mls of lidocaine viscous and 25 mls of a liquid antacid such as Maalox.