INJECTABLE CENTBUCRIDINE AND LIDOCAINE HYDROCHLORIDE FOR INTRAOCULAR SURGERY

Centbucridine, a recent anesthetic agent, has been shown to be effecti ve for topical ocular anesthesia. However, its value has yet to be est ablished for ophthalmic local anesthesia. Through a double-masked, ran domized study of 60 microsurgeries for the treatment of cataract, the authors graded and compared the efficacy of a facial nerve block with 0.5% centbucridine versus 2% lidocaine hydrochloride. (The topical as well as retrobulbar anesthesia was achieved with lidocaine.) Excluding the 7 cases that were graded as having a ''poor'' block, the authors noted ''good'' orbicularis oculi muscle response in 21 of 24 patients who were given lidocaine, compared with 26 of 29 patients who were giv en centbucridine. Both agents provided an acceptable nerve block for a t least 60 minutes; however, the effect of lidocaine was found to have an earlier onset (P<.001). Side effects were not observed with either anesthetic, The findings of this study indicate that centbucridine se ems to be a satisfactory agent as an injectable or topical anesthesia for ophthalmic microsurgery.