|
Pediatrics : Topical Anesthesia
Topical anesthesia is needed for common pediatric procedures such as suturing,
wound cleaning, and injection administration. The ideal topical anesthetic
would provide complete anesthesia following a simple pain-free application,
not contain narcotics or controlled substances, and have an excellent safety
profile. The combination of topical anesthetics lidocaine and tetracaine and
the vasoconstrictor epinephrine has been used successfully for anesthesia prior
to suturing linear scalp and facial lacerations in children. A triple-anesthetic
gel containing benzocaine, lidocaine, and tetracaine ("BLT") has
also been reported to be effective when applied prior to laser and cosmetic
procedures. Convenience of application without need for occlusion is an advantage
of these topical anesthetics.
The following article concludes: "LAT gel (4% lidocaine, 1:2000 adrenaline,
0.5% tetracaine) worked as well as TAC gel (0.5% tetracaine, 1:2000 adrenaline,
11.8% cocaine) for topical anesthesia in facial and scalp lacerations. Considering
the advantages of a noncontrolled substance and less expense, LAT gel appears
to be better suited than TAC gel for topical anesthesia in laceration repair
in children."
Pediatrics 1995 Feb;95(2):255-8
Lidocaine adrenaline tetracaine gel versus tetracaine adrenaline
cocaine gel for topical anesthesia in linear scalp and facial lacerations
in children aged 5 to 17 years.
Ernst AA, Marvez E, Nick TG, Chin E, Wood E, Gonzaba WT
Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University, New Orleans.
Click
here to access the PubMed abstract of this article.
The following article reported that a triple-anesthetic gel containing benzocaine,
lidocaine, and tetracaine ("BLT") applied prior to treatment with
a 532-nm KTP laser resulted in significantly lower pain scores than with 3
other topical anesthetics at 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after application.
Cosmetic Dermatology 2003 Apr;16(4):35-7
Topical Triple-Anesthetic Gel Compared With 3 Topical Anesthetics
Lee MWC
Department of Dermatologic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco
|
