Biomaterial Database

[EMLA. A new topical anesthetic]. 1993

E Santacana, and L Aliaga, and M Bayo, and J M Villar-Landeira

Servicio de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona.

The method most widely used at present for cutaneous analgesia is local anesthetic infiltration. Pain occurs when the needle penetrates and when the anesthetic is deposited and diffuses. The procedure is not risk-free. It is therefore not surprising that many attempts have been made to develop an anesthetic formula that is effective when applied topically to intact skin. Early efforts were unsuccessful due to either low analgesic efficacy or side effects. The problem was solved several years ago in the European market by the EMLA (Eutetic Mixture of Local Anesthetics) cream. The EMLA cream has been shown to be useful as a topical anesthetic on either intact or damaged skin. Its clinical profile is safe, with a low incidence of side effects. We feel it is a useful tool for preventing pain in a variety of procedures that call for cutaneous analgesia. It may also be used as premedication for perineural injection of anesthetics, providing greater comfort for the patient. This article describes the main pharmacological principles that make EMLA an effective topical analgesic, as well as indications for its use in the clinical practice of anesthesiology.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008012	Lidocaine	A local anesthetic and cardiac depressant used as an antiarrhythmia agent. Its actions are more intense and its effects more prolonged than those of PROCAINE but its duration of action is shorter than that of BUPIVACAINE or PRILOCAINE.	Lignocaine,2-(Diethylamino)-N-(2,6-Dimethylphenyl)Acetamide,2-2EtN-2MePhAcN,Dalcaine,Lidocaine Carbonate,Lidocaine Carbonate (2:1),Lidocaine Hydrocarbonate,Lidocaine Hydrochloride,Lidocaine Monoacetate,Lidocaine Monohydrochloride,Lidocaine Monohydrochloride, Monohydrate,Lidocaine Sulfate (1:1),Octocaine,Xylesthesin,Xylocaine,Xylocitin,Xyloneural
D011318	Prilocaine	A local anesthetic that is similar pharmacologically to LIDOCAINE. Currently, it is used most often for infiltration anesthesia in dentistry.	Propitocaine,Citanest,Citanest Octapressin,Prilocaine Hydrochloride,Xylonest
D004338	Drug Combinations	Single preparations containing two or more active agents, for the purpose of their concurrent administration as a fixed dose mixture.	Drug Combination,Combination, Drug,Combinations, Drug
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000077442	Lidocaine, Prilocaine Drug Combination	A topical local anesthetic preparation that is composed of a mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine. It is used to provide anesthesia during minor surgery and for the treatment of PREMATURE EJACULATION.	EMLA Cream,Eutectic Lidocaine-Prilocaine,Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetics,Fortacin,Lidocaine Prilocaine,Lidocaine-Prilocaine Drug Combination,Oraqix,PSD 502,PSD-502,PSD502,Topical Eutectic-Like Mixture for Premature Ejaculation,Eutectic Lidocaine Prilocaine,Lidocaine Prilocaine Drug Combination,Lidocaine-Prilocaine, Eutectic,Prilocaine, Lidocaine,Topical Eutectic Like Mixture for Premature Ejaculation
D000779	Anesthetics, Local	Drugs that block nerve conduction when applied locally to nerve tissue in appropriate concentrations. They act on any part of the nervous system and on every type of nerve fiber. In contact with a nerve trunk, these anesthetics can cause both sensory and motor paralysis in the innervated area. Their action is completely reversible. (From Gilman AG, et. al., Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th ed) Nearly all local anesthetics act by reducing the tendency of voltage-dependent sodium channels to activate.	Anesthetics, Conduction-Blocking,Conduction-Blocking Anesthetics,Local Anesthetic,Anesthetics, Topical,Anesthetic, Local,Anesthetics, Conduction Blocking,Conduction Blocking Anesthetics,Local Anesthetics,Topical Anesthetics