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Absorption- The amount of lidocaine and prilocaine systemically absorbed from lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% is directly related to both the duration of application and to the area over which it is applied. In two pharmacokinetic studies, 60 g of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% (1.5 g lidocaine and 1.5 g prilocaine) was applied to 400 cm2 of intact skin on the lateral thigh and then covered by an occlusive dressing. The subjects were then randomized such that one-half of the subjects had the occlusive dressing and residual cream removed after 3 hours, while the remainder left the dressing in place for 24 hours. The results from these studies are summarized below.
LIDOCAINE and PRILOCAINE CREAM, 2.5%/2.5% (g) | Area | Time on | Drug Content | Absorbed | Cmax | Tmax |
60 | 400 | 3 | lidocaine 1500 | 54 | 0.12 | 4 |
prilocaine 1500 | 92 | 0.07 | 4 | |||
60 | 400 | 24* | lidocaine 1500 | 243 | 0.28 | 10 |
prilocaine 1500 | 503 | 0.14 | 10 |
* Maximum recommended duration of exposure is 4 hours.
When 60 g of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% was applied over 400 cm2 for 24 hours, peak blood levels of lidocaine are approximately 1/20 the systemic toxic level. Likewise, the maximum prilocaine level is about 1/36 the toxic level. In a pharmacokinetic study, lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% was applied to penile skin in 20 adult male patients in doses ranging from 0.5 g to 3.3 g for 15 minutes. Plasma concentrations of lidocaine and prilocaine following lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% application in this study were consistently low (2.5-16 ng/mL for lidocaine and 2.5-7 ng/mL for prilocaine). The application of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% to broken or inflamed skin, or to 2,000 cm2 or more of skin where more of both anesthetics are absorbed, could result in higher plasma levels that could, in susceptible individuals, produce a systemic pharmacologic response.
The absorption of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% applied to genital mucous membranes was studied in two open-label clinical trials. Twenty-nine patients received 10 g of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% applied for 10 to 60 minutes in the vaginal fornices. Plasma concentrations of lidocaine and prilocaine following lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% application in these studies ranged from 148 to 641 ng/mL for lidocaine and 40 to 346 ng/mL for prilocaine and time to reach maximum concentration (tmax) ranged from 21 to 125 minutes for lidocaine and from 21 to 95 minutes for prilocaine. These levels are well below the concentrations anticipated to give rise to systemic toxicity (approximately 5000 ng/mL for lidocaine and prilocaine).
Distribution- When each drug is administered intravenously, the steady-state volume of distribution is 1.1 to 2.1 L/kg (mean 1.5, ±0.3 SD, n=13) for lidocaine and is 0.7 to 4.4 L/kg (mean 2.6, ±1.3 SD, n=13) for prilocaine. The larger distribution volume for prilocaine produces the lower plasma concentrations of prilocaine observed when equal amounts of prilocaine and lidocaine are administered. At concentrations produced by application of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5%, lidocaine is approximately 70% bound to plasma proteins, primarily alpha-1-acid glycoprotein. At much higher plasma concentrations (1 to 4 mcg/mL of free base) the plasma protein binding of lidocaine is concentration dependent. Prilocaine is 55% bound to plasma proteins. Both lidocaine and prilocaine cross the placental and blood brain barrier, presumably by passive diffusion.
Metabolism- It is not known if lidocaine or prilocaine are metabolized in the skin. Lidocaine is metabolized rapidly by the liver to a number of metabolites including monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) and glycinexylidide (GX), both of which have pharmacologic activity similar to, but less potent than that of lidocaine. The metabolite, 2,6-xylidine, has unknown pharmacologic activity. Following intravenous administration, MEGX and GX concentrations in serum range from 11 to 36% and from 5 to 11% of lidocaine concentrations, respectively. Prilocaine is metabolized in both the liver and kidneys by amidases to various metabolites including ortho-toluidine and N-n-propylalanine. It is not metabolized by plasma esterases. The ortho-toluidine metabolite has been shown to be carcinogenic in several animal models (see Carcinogenesis subsection of PRECAUTIONS). In addition, ortho-toluidine can produce methemoglobinemia following systemic doses of prilocaine approximating 8 mg/kg (see ADVERSE REACTIONS). Very young patients, patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiencies and patients taking oxidizing drugs such as antimalarials and sulfonamides are more susceptible to methemoglobinemia (see Methemoglobinemia subsection of PRECAUTIONS).
Elimination- The terminal elimination half-life of lidocaine from the plasma following IV administration is approximately 65 to 150 minutes (mean 110, ±24 SD, n=13). More than 98% of an absorbed dose of lidocaine can be recovered in the urine as metabolites or parent drug. The systemic clearance is 10 to 20 mL/min/kg (mean 13, ±3 SD, n=13). The elimination half-life of prilocaine is approximately 10 to 150 minutes (mean 70, ±48 SD, n=13). The systemic clearance is 18 to 64 mL/min/kg (mean 38, ±15 SD, n=13). During intravenous studies, the elimination half-life of lidocaine was statistically significantly longer in elderly patients (2.5 hours) than in younger patients (1.5 hours). No studies are available on the intravenous pharmacokinetics of prilocaine in elderly patients.
Pediatrics- Some pharmacokinetic (PK) data are available in infants (1 month to <2 years old) and children (2 to <12 years old). One PK study was conducted in 9 full-term neonates (mean age: 7 days and mean gestational age: 38.8 weeks). The study results show that neonates had comparable plasma lidocaine and prilocaine concentrations and blood methemoglobin concentrations as those found in previous pediatric PK studies and clinical trials. There was a tendency towards an increase in methemoglobin formation. However, due to assay limitations and very little amount of blood that could be collected from neonates, large variations in the above reported concentrations were found.
Special Populations- No specific PK studies were conducted. The half-life may be increased in cardiac or hepatic dysfunction. Prilocaine's half-life also may be increased in hepatic or renal dysfunction since both of these organs are involved in prilocaine metabolism.
Individualization of Dose: The dose of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% which provides effective analgesia depends on the duration of the application over the treated area.
All pharmacokinetic and clinical studies employed a thick layer of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% (1 to 2 g/10 cm2). The duration of application prior to venipuncture was 1 hour. The duration of application prior to taking split thickness skin grafts was 2 hours. A thinner application has not been studied and may result in less complete analgesia or a shorter duration of adequate analgesia.
The systemic absorption of lidocaine and prilocaine is a side effect of the desired local effect. The amount of drug absorbed depends on surface area and duration of application. The systemic blood levels depend on the amount absorbed and patient size (weight) and rate of systemic drug elimination. Long duration of application, large treatment area, small patients, or impaired elimination may result in high blood levels. The systemic blood levels are typically a small fraction (1/20 to 1/36) of the blood levels that produce toxicity. Table 2 below gives maximum recommended doses, application areas and application times for infants and children.
Age and Body Weight Requirements | Maximum total Dose of | Maximum | Maximum |
0 up to 3 months or < 5 kg | 1g | 10 cm2 | 1 hour |
3 up to 12 months and >5 kg | 2g | 20 cm2 | 4 hours |
1 to 6 years and >10 kg | 10g | 100 cm2 | 4 hours |
7 to 12 years and >20 kg | 20g | 200 cm2 | 4 hours |
Please note: If a patient greater than 3 months old does not meet the minimum weight requirement, the maximum total dose of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% should be restricted to that which corresponds to the patient's weight.
* These are broad guidelines for avoiding systemic toxicity in applying lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% to patients with normal intact skin and with normal renal and hepatic function.
** For more individualized calculation of how much lidocaine and prilocaine may be absorbed, physicians can use the following estimates of lidocaine and prilocaine absorption for children and adults:
The estimated mean (±SD) absorption of lidocaine is 0.045 (±0.016) mg/cm2/hr.
The estimated mean (±SD) absorption of prilocaine is 0.077 (±0.036) mg/cm2/hr.
An IV antiarrhythmic dose of lidocaine is 1 mg/kg (70 mg/70 kg) and gives a blood level of about 1 mcg/mL. Toxicity would be expected at blood levels above 5 mcg/mL. Smaller areas of treatment are recommended in a debilitated patient, a small child or a patient with impaired elimination. Decreasing the duration of application is likely to decrease the analgesic effect.
Methemoglobinemia: Lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% should not be used in those rare patients with congenital or idiopathic methemoglobinemia and in infants under the age of twelve months who are receiving treatment with methemoglobin-inducing agents.
Very young patients or patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiencies are more susceptible to methemoglobinemia.
Patients taking drugs associated with drug-induced methemoglobinemia such as sulfonamides, acetaminophen, acetanilid, aniline dyes, benzocaine, chloroquine, dapsone, naphthalene, nitrates and nitrites, nitrofurantoin, nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, pamaquine, para-aminosalicylic acid, phenacetin, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primaquine, quinine, are also at greater risk for developing methemoglobinemia.
There have been reports of significant methemoglobinemia (20 to 30%) in infants and children following excessive applications of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5%. These cases involved the use of large doses, larger than recommended areas of application, or infants under the age of 3 months who did not have fully mature enzyme systems. In addition, a few of these cases involved the concomitant administration of methemoglobin-inducing agents. Most patients recovered spontaneously after removal of the cream. Treatment with IV methylene blue may be effective if required.
Physicians are cautioned to make sure that parents or other caregivers understand the need for careful application of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5%, to ensure that the doses and areas of application recommended in Table 2 are not exceeded (especially in children under the age of 3 months) and to limit the period of application to the minimum required to achieve the desired anesthesia.
Neonates and infants up to 3 months of age should be monitored for Met-Hb levels before, during, and after the application of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5%, provided the test results can be obtained quickly.
Carcinogenesis- Long-term studies in animals designed to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of lidocaine and prilocaine have not been conducted.
Metabolites of prilocaine have been shown to be carcinogenic in laboratory animals. In the animal studies reported below, doses or blood levels are compared to the Single Dermal Administration (SDA) of 60 g of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% to 400 cm2 for 3 hours to a small person (50 kg). The typical application of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% for one or two treatments for venipuncture sites (2.5 or 5 g) would be 1/24 or 1/12 of that dose in an adult or about the same mg/kg dose in an infant.
Chronic oral toxicity studies of ortho-toluidine, a metabolite of prilocaine, in mice (450 to 7200 mg/m2; 60 to 960 times SDA) and rats (900 to 4,800 mg/m2; 60 to 320 times SDA) have shown that ortho-toluidine is a carcinogen in both species. The tumors included hepatocarcinomas/adenomas in female mice, multiple occurrences of hemangiosarcomas/hemangiomas in both sexes of mice, sarcomas of multiple organs, transitional-cell carcinomas/papillomas of urinary bladder in both sexes of rats, subcutaneous fibromas/fibrosarcomas and mesotheliomas in male rats, and mammary gland fibroadenomas/adenomas in female rats. The lowest dose tested (450 mg/m2 in mice; 900 mg/m2 in rats, 60 times SDA) was carcinogenic in both species. Thus the no-effect dose must be less than 60 times SDA. The animal studies were conducted at 150 to 2,400 mg/kg in mice and at 150 to 800 mg/kg in rats. The dosages have been converted to mg/m2 for the SDA calculations above.
Mutagenesis- The mutagenic potential of lidocaine HCl has been tested in a bacterial reverse (Ames) assay in Salmonella, an in vitro chromosomal aberration assay using human lymphocytes, an in vivo micronucleus test in mice. There was no indication of mutagenicity or structural damage to chromosomes in these tests.
Ortho-toluidine, a metabolite of prilocaine, at a concentration of 0.5 mcg/mL, was genotoxic in Escherichia coli DNA repair and phage-induction assays. Urine concentrates from rats treated with ortho-toluidine (300 mg/kg orally; 300 times SDA) were mutagenic when examined in Salmonella typhimurium in the presence of metabolic activation. Several other tests on ortho-toluidine, including reverse mutations in five different Salmonella typhimurium strains in the presence or absence of metabolic activation and a study to detect single strand breaks in DNA of V79 Chinese hamster cells, were negative.
Impairment of Fertility- See Use in Pregnancy.
Localized Reactions: During or immediately after treatment with lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% on intact skin, the skin at the site of treatment may develop erythema or edema or may be the locus of abnormal sensation. Rare cases of discrete purpuric or petechial reactions at the application site have been reported. Rare cases of hyperpigmentation following the use of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% have been reported. The relationship to lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% or the underlying procedure has not been established. In clinical studies on intact skin involving over 1,300 lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5%-treated subjects, one or more such local reactions were noted in 56% of patients, and were generally mild and transient, resolving spontaneously within 1 or 2 hours. There were no serious reactions that were ascribed to lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5%.
Two recent reports describe blistering on the foreskin in neonates about to undergo circumcision. Both neonates received 1 g of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5%.
In patients treated with lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% on intact skin, local effects observed in the trials included: paleness (pallor or blanching) 37%, redness (erythema) 30%, alterations in temperature sensations 7%, edema 6%, itching 2% and rash, less than 1%.
In clinical studies on genital mucous membranes involving 378 lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5%-treated patients, one or more application site reactions, usually mild and transient, were noted in 41% of patients. The most common application site reactions were redness (21%), burning sensation (17%) and edema (10%).
Allergic Reactions: Allergic and anaphylactoid reactions associated with lidocaine or prilocaine can occur. They are characterized by urticaria, angioedema, bronchospasm, and shock. If they occur they should be managed by conventional means. The detection of sensitivity by skin testing is of doubtful value.
Systemic (Dose Related) Reactions: Systemic adverse reactions following appropriate use of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% are unlikely due to the small dose absorbed (see Pharmacokinetics subsection of CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY). Systemic adverse effects of lidocaine and/or prilocaine are similar in nature to those observed with other amide local anesthetic agents including CNS excitation and/or depression (light-headedness, nervousness, apprehension, euphoria, confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, tinnitus, blurred or double vision, vomiting, sensations of heat, cold or numbness, twitching, tremors, convulsions, unconsciousness, respiratory depression and arrest). Excitatory CNS reactions may be brief or not occur at all, in which case the first manifestation may be drowsiness merging into unconsciousness. Cardiovascular manifestations may include bradycardia, hypotension and cardiovascular collapse leading to arrest.
Minor Dermal Procedures: For minor procedures such as intravenous cannulation and venipuncture, apply 2.5 grams (1/2 the 5 g tube) of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% over 20 to 25 cm2 of skin surface for at least 1 hour. In controlled clinical trials using lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5%, two sites were usually prepared in case there was a technical problem with cannulation or venipuncture at the first site.
Major Dermal Procedures: For more painful dermatological procedures involving a larger skin area such as split thickness skin graft harvesting, apply 2 grams of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% per 10 cm2 of skin and allow to remain in contact with the skin for at least 2 hours.
Adult Male Genital Skin: As an adjunct prior to local anesthetic infiltration, apply a thick layer of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5% (1 g/10 cm2) to the skin surface for 15 minutes. Local anesthetic infiltration should be performed immediately after removal of lidocaine and prilocaine cream, 2.5%/2.5%.
Dermal analgesia can be expected to increase for up to 3 hours under occlusive dressing and persist for 1 to 2 hours after removal of the cream. The amount of lidocaine and prilocaine absorbed during the period of application can be estimated from the information in Table 2, ** footnote, in Individualization of Dose.