PREPARATION AND STABILITY TESTING OF A HYDROGEL FOR TOPICAL ANALGESIA

With the commercial availability of a cream (EMLA(R)) containing a eut ectic mixture of local anaesthetics, 2.5% (w/w) lidocaine and 2.5% (w/ w) prilocaine, effective topical anaesthesia of the intact skin is pos sible without the need for subcutaneous injections or exposure to high concentrations of local anaesthetics. In our hospital a topical anaes thetic product was designed for the same purpose, The home-made produc e contains a eutectic mixture of a local anaesthetic (5% w/w) and l-me nthol (1% w/w). Prilocaine was used as the local anaesthetic because i t is known for its safety and its well investigated analgesic effects. The eutectic mixture of prilocaine and I-menthol was mixed with a car bopol hydrogel (1% w/w). Preliminary testing of this anaesthetic hydro gel in our hospital has yielded satisfactory results, The anaesthetic hydrogel was found to be stable after at least 3 months' storage at am bient temperature.