The use of volatile anesthetics, a group of general anesthetics, is an exceedingly common practice. These anesthetics may have neuroprotective effects. Over the last decade, anesthetic induced neurotoxicity in pediatric populations has gained a certain notoriety based on pre-clinical cell and animal studies demonstrating that general anesthetics may induce neurotoxicity, including neuroapoptosi...

Local anesthetics are commonly utilized in the practice of dermatology. Minimizing local anesthetic injection pain can be beneficial to both physicians and patients. Easily implemented techniques that reduce injection pain of intralesional local anesthetics are reviewed.

1. What exactly are injectable contraceptives, specifically DMPA and NET-EN? DMPA, or depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, and NET-EN, short for norethisterone enanthate, are contraceptives that contain a kind of hormone called progestin. Both are given by injection. DMPA (widely known by its marketed name Depo-Provera) is administered every three months, while NET-EN (or Noristerat) is given eve...

MECHANISTIC research is entering an exciting era in which knowledge about the molecular targets for general anesthetics is beginning to influence clinical practice. Identifying the receptors and neuronal circuits that underlie the neurobehavioral effects of anesthetics is particularly important if we are to develop new anesthetic agents and advance beyond the “ether era.” The clinical propertie...

For many general anesthetics, their molecular basis of action involves interactions with GABA(A) receptors. Anesthetics produce concentration-dependent effects on GABA(A) receptors. Low concentrations potentiate submaximal GABA-induced currents. Higher concentrations directly activate the receptors. Functional effects of anesthetics have been characterized, but little is known about the conform...

BACKGROUND The author reviewed the history of, federal regulations regarding, risks of and adverse drug reactions of five compound topical anesthetics: tetracaine, adrenaline/epinephrine and cocaine (TAC); lidocaine, adrenaline/epinephrine and tetracaine (LET); lidocaine, tetracaine and phenylephrine (TAC 20 percent Alternate); lidocaine, prilocaine and tetracaine (Profound); and lidocaine, pri...

Despite a long history in medical and dental application, the molecular mechanism and precise site of action are still arguable for local anesthetics. Their effects are considered to be induced by acting on functional proteins, on membrane lipids, or on both. Local anesthetics primarily interact with sodium channels embedded in cell membranes to reduce the excitability of nerve cells and cardio...

BACKGROUND Drug interactions may reveal mechanisms of drug action: additive interactions suggest a common site of action, and synergistic interactions suggest different sites of action. We applied this reasoning in a review of published data on anesthetic drug interactions for the end-points of hypnosis and immobility. METHODS We searched Medline for all manuscripts listing propofol, etomidat...

BACKGROUND Irreversible nerve injury may result from neural membrane lysis due to the detergent properties of local anesthetics. This study aimed to investigate whether local anesthetics display the same properties as detergents and whether they disrupt the model membrane at high concentrations. METHODS Concentrations at which dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride and four local anesthetic (dibuc...

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that local anesthetics may induce apoptosis in some cell types. In this study, we investigated the apoptotic effects of local anesthetics in human breast tumor cells. METHODS Human breast cancer (MCF-7) and mammary epithelial (MCF-10A) cell lines were treated with lidocaine and/or bupivacaine. Cell viability, DNA fragmentation, and annexin V immunofluore...