INTRANASAL ANESTHETIC EFFECTS OF LIDOCAINE AND TETRACAINE COMPARED

The quality of nasal anesthesia obtained with two local anesthetic sol utions (2% lidocaine in oxymetazoline and 1% tetracaine in oxymetazoli ne) was evaluated in this double-blind, randomized study. Each local a nesthetic mixture was applied to the nasal septum of healthy volunteer s with medication-soaked pledgets. Measurements of anesthetic effect ( sensation threshold and pain perception) were made with Semmes-Weinste in monofilaments (North Coast Medical, San Jose, Calif.), Measurements were performed before local anesthetic application and at 10 and 70 m inutes after local anesthetic application. Subjects had greater increa ses in sensation threshold with tetracaine than with lidocaine at both 10 and 70 minutes (p = 0.0005 and p = 0.0001, respectively), Subjects had greater decreases in pain perception with tetracaine than with li docaine at both time intervals (p = 0.0003 and p < 0.0001, respectivel y). Tetracaine mixed with oxymetazoline appears to be a superior topic al anesthetic for nasal procedures.