Local Anesthesia

• Any procedure requiring localized, short-term anesthesia, including a broad range of medical and minor surgical procedures

• There are no absolute contraindications to local anesthesia.
• Relative contraindications include prior allergic reaction, large target areas requiring large doses of anesthetic, liver disease (amides), pseudocholinesterase deficiency (esters), and seizure disorder.

• Personal protective equipment (gloves, face shield)
• Skin cleansing agent (chlorhexidine or povidone-iodine solution)
• Needles (large and small, e.g., 18- and 25- to 30-gauge)
• Syringe (e.g., 10 mL)
• Anesthetic agent

Figure 1 :  Local anesthesia

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Figure 3 :  Equipment

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The full content of this section includes:

• Step-by-step text instructions for performing the procedure
  
• Clinical pearls providing practical clinical tips from medical experts
• Patient safety guidelines consistent with Joint Commission and OHSA standards
• Links to medical evidence and related procedures

Figure 8 :  Create a skin wheal

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Figure 10 :  Inject the laceration subdermally

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Figure 11 :  Begin to anesthetize the region outside the affected area

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Figure 12 :  Continue to anesthetize the perimeter of the region

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• No special care is required following local anesthesia administration.
• Look for signs of neurovascular compromise or infection.

• Bleeding, infection, inflammation, and neurovascular compromise are possible.
• Systemic complications, although rare, include cardiac dysfunction and dysrhythmias; central nervous system dysfunction, including altered mental status and seizures; and allergic reaction.