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Local Anesthetics: Common Agents and Their Applications

Local Anesthetics: Common Agents and Their Applications

Local anesthetics (LAs) are commonly used for various applications in medical and dental procedures. Some of the common agents used are cocaine, lidocaine, and bupivacaine.
Cocaine is an ester of benzoic acid and methylecgogine. It is used to anesthetize and vasoconstrict locally. Currently, it is used primarily for topical applications. It is beneficial for surgeries on the upper respiratory tract, providing anesthesia and shrinking the mucosa. Cocaine in the form of cocaine hydrochloride is...

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Surface, Infiltration, and Conduction Block Anesthesia

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Surface, Infiltration, and Conduction Block Anesthesia

Depending on the target organ, local anesthetics (LAs) can be administered via various routes. In surface anesthesia, LAs are applied directly to the surface of the skin or mucous membranes. It is widely used for topical skin numbing before venipuncture or minor surgical procedures. Commonly used surface local anesthetics are lidocaine or benzocaine sprays or creams. Surface anesthesia occurs within 5 minutes and lasts for about 60 minutes. One of the main disadvantages of topical anesthesia is...

Local Anesthetics: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship

Local Anesthetics: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship

Local anesthetics (LAs) are drugs that induce a temporary loss of sensation in a limited body area, preventing pain. Cocaine was the first local anesthetic discovered in the late 19th century. Cocaine is a benzoic acid ester obtained from the leaves of coca shrubs and was often used for its psychotropic effects. Cocaine was first isolated in 1860 by Albert Niemann. Sigmund Freud studied the physiological actions of cocaine. Carl Koller later introduced it into clinical practice in 1884 as a...

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

Epidural anesthetics are administered in the fat-filled epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. This technique is commonly employed for pain management and anesthesia during lower abdomen and pelvis surgeries or labor and delivery.
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Intravenous Regional Anesthesia

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Intravenous Regional Anesthesia

Intravenous regional anesthesia or the Bier block technique is used to anesthetize a specific limb or extremity. It uses exsanguinated or blood-drained vessels to transport local anesthetics or LAs to the peripheral nerve trunks. Lidocaine without vasoconstrictors like epinephrine is most commonly used for this technique. Other drugs used are prilocaine, ropivacaine, and chloroprocaine. Bupivacaine is not recommended for this technique due to its high cardiac toxicity.
One of the advantages of...

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia

Spinal anesthetics are given during lower abdomen and limb surgeries to block sensory and motor neurons. They are administered in the mid to low lumbar regions, primarily acting on the cauda equina's nerve roots. The blockade level depends on the local anesthetic (LA) concentration. Usually, low LA concentrations are sufficient to block sensory fibers, while only high LA concentrations block motor fibers. Other factors like injection volume and speed, the patient's posture, and the drug...

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Topical Airway Anesthesia for Awake-endoscopic Intubation Using the Spray-as-you-go Technique with High Oxygen Flow

Topical Airway Anesthesia for Awake-endoscopic Intubation Using the Spray-as-you-go Technique with High Oxygen Flow

Published on: January 13, 2017

Topical anesthesia.

Mritunjay Kumar¹, Rajiv Chawla¹, Manish Goyal¹

¹Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital, New Delhi, India.

Journal of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology

|December 25, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Topical anesthetics provide superficial pain relief across many medical fields. Enhancing their delivery and effectiveness involves optimizing drug properties and using enhancers for better patient outcomes.

Keywords:

Eutectic mixture of local anesthetics Topical anesthesia iontophoresis local anesthetic skin permeation enhancer sonophoresis uses and side-effects of topical anesthetics

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Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics

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Area of Science:

Anesthesiology
Dermatology
Pharmacology

Background:

Topical anesthetics are integral to various medical and surgical specialties.
They function by inducing superficial pain sensation loss upon direct application.

Purpose of the Study:

To review methods for enhancing topical anesthetic delivery and effectiveness.
To list available topical anesthetic agents and discuss key considerations for their use.

Main Methods:

Literature review of topical anesthetic applications and delivery enhancement strategies.
Compilation of commonly used topical anesthetic agents.
Discussion of factors influencing anesthetic efficacy and safety.

Main Results:

Delivery and effectiveness can be improved through free bases, increased concentration, lower melting points, permeation enhancers, and lipid vesicles.
A range of agents including eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA), lidocaine, tetracaine, and benzocaine are available.
Considerations include pharmacology, application site/duration, patient age/weight, and potential side effects.

Conclusions:

Optimizing formulation and delivery systems significantly impacts topical anesthetic performance.
Careful patient and application-specific considerations are crucial for safe and effective use of topical anesthetics.