Spelling

Emla: local anesthetic for superficial interventions

Emla is a local anesthetic that is used to numb the skin during injections and superficial surgical procedures, as well as during the surgical treatment of chronic limb ulcers and skin grafts. Emla is manufactured by Astra and AstraZeneca AB in Sweden and is available as a cream or patch.

Emla's composition includes the active substances lidocaine and prilocaine, which have a local anesthetic effect. Both of these components block the conduction of nerve impulses, which leads to temporary loss of skin sensitivity.

Although Emla is an effective skin anesthetic, its use may cause side effects such as pallor, erythema, swelling, allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock is possible) and local burning and itching.

Before using Emla, you must consider its contraindications. Amide-type local anesthetics should not be used if there is hypersensitivity to them or with congenital or idiopathic methemoglobinemia. You should also be careful when using Emla in premature infants and children under 12 months of age while taking methemoglobin-inducing drugs.

When using Emla, special instructions must be followed. Do not apply the cream to the mucous membrane and open wounds. Application time in patients with atopic dermatitis should be no more than 15-30 minutes. The patch should not be used to numb the skin before receiving live vaccines (BCG), and care should be taken when using Emla around the eyes as it may cause corneal irritation.

In case of overdose with Emla, symptoms of central nervous system excitation, convulsions and methemoglobinemia may occur. In such cases, it is necessary to carry out pulmonary ventilation, maintain vital signs and, if necessary, use anticonvulsants, as well as slowly administer a solution of methylene blue to eliminate methemoglobinemia.

Thus, Emla is an effective agent for local anesthesia during injections and superficial surgical interventions, but its use requires special instructions and caution.