Tetracaine

Tetracaine is a local anesthetic or numbing medicine that is used to numb the throat, eyes, or nose. Normally, the drug is administered before starting a surgery to decrease pain from the procedure. Tetracaine is applied to the eyes 30 minutes before the start of an intravenous and its effects can last up to 15 minutes.

White or light-yellow, waxy solid. Very slightly soluble in water; soluble in alcohol, ether, benzene, chloroform.

ChEBI: A benzoate ester in which 4-N-butylbenzoic acid and 2-(dimethylamino)ethanol have combined to form the ester bond; a local ester anaesthetic (ester caine) used for surface and spinal anaesthesia.

Tetracaine was developed to address the low potency andshort duration of action of procaine and chloroprocaine. The addition of the butyl side chain on the para nitrogen increasesthe lipid solubility of the drug and enhances the topical potencyof tetracaine. The plasma half-life is 120 to 150 seconds.Topically applied tetracaine to unbroken skin requires 30 to 45minutes to confer topical anesthesia. Tetracaine 4% gel is superiorthan eutectic mixture with lidocaine (EMLA) (an emulsionof lidocaine and prilocaine) in preventing pain associatedwith needle procedures in children. Tetracaine metabolism issimilar to procaine ester metabolism yielding parabutylaminobenzoicacid and dimethylaminoethanol and conjugatesexcreted in the urine. The pKa of the dimethylated nitrogen is8.4 and tetracaine is formulated as a hydrochloride salt with apH of 3.5 to 6.0. The increased absorption from topical siteshas resulted in reported toxicity. Overdoses of tetracaine mayproduce central nervous system (CNS) toxicity and seizure activitywith fatalities from circulatory depression reported.No selective cardiac toxicity is seen with tetracaine althoughhypotension has been reported. Tetracaine is employed for infiltrationanesthesia, spinal anesthesia, or topical use.

Tetracaine is used in assessing the potential for drug-nanoparticle surface interactions to improve drug penetration into the skin.

analgesic

Tetracaine has been used as an anesthetic and to lower the glucose synthesis in upper small intestinal infusions. It has also been used to inhibit ryanodine receptors (RyRs) in rats.

Topical ophthalmic anesthetic; used for spinal anesthesia

Tetracaine, also known as amethocaine, is the most potent and lipidsoluble ester local anaesthetic and has significant potential for toxicity if used systemically. It is commonly used as a 4% gel for topical application to decrease the pain from venous puncture or cannulation.