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Articaine: a review of its use for local and regional anesthesia

Authors Snoeck M

Received 7 March 2012

Accepted for publication 19 April 2012

Published 5 June 2012 Volume 2012:5 Pages 23—33

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/LRA.S16682

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 5



Marc Snoeck
Department of Anaesthesia, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Abstract: Articaine is an intermediate-potency, short-acting amide local anesthetic with a fast metabolism due to an ester group in its structure. It is effective with local infiltration or peripheral nerve block in dentistry, when administered as a spinal, epidural, ocular, or regional nerve block, or when injected intravenously for regional anesthesia. In comparative trials, its clinical effects were not generally significantly different from those of other short-acting local anesthetics like lidocaine, prilocaine, and chloroprocaine, and there is no conclusive evidence demonstrating above-average neurotoxicity. Articaine proved to be suitable and safe for procedures requiring a short duration of action in which a fast onset of anesthesia is desired, eg, dental procedures and ambulatory spinal anesthesia, in normal and in special populations.

Keywords: articaine, regional anesthesia, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use, tolerability, neurotoxicity

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