Management of methemoglobinemia: If methemoglobinemia does not respond to administration of oxygen, clinically significant symptoms of methemoglobinemia should be treated with administration of a slow intravenous injection (over 5 minutes) of methylene blue at a dosage of 1-2 mg/kg body weight.
Adverse reactions observed in at least 1% of patients:
Table 2: Adverse Reactions in Controlled Trials with an Incidence of 1% or Greater in Patients Administered Articaine HCl and Epinephrine containing Epinephrine 1:100,000| Body System/Reaction | Articaine HCl and Epinephrine containing epinephrine 1:100,000 (N=882) Incidence |
|---|
| Body as a whole |
| Face Edema | 13 (1%) |
| Headache | 31 (4%) |
| Infection | 10 (1%) |
| Pain | 114 (13%) |
| Digestive system |
| Gingivitis | 13 (1%) |
| Nervous system |
| Paresthesia | 11 (1%) |
Table 3: Adverse Reactions in Controlled Trials with an Incidence of 1% or Greater in Patients Administered Articaine HCl and Epinephrine containing Epinephrine 1:200,000 and Articaine HCl and Epinephrine containing Epinephrine 1:100,000| Reaction | Articaine HCl and epinephrine 1:200,000 (N=179) Incidence | Articaine HCl and epinephrine 1:100,000 (N=182) Incidence |
|---|
| Any adverse reaction | 33 (18%) | 35 (19%) |
| Pain | 11 (6.1%) | 14 (7.6%) |
| Headache | 9 (5%) | 6 (3.2%) |
| Positive blood aspiration into syringe | 3 (1.6%) | 6 (3.2%) |
| Swelling | 3 (1.6%) | 5 (2.7%) |
| Trismus | 1 (0.5%) | 3 (1.6%) |
| Nausea and emesis | 3 (1.6%) | 0 (0%) |
| Sleepiness | 2 (1.1%) | 1 (0.5%) |
| Numbness and tingling | 1 (0.5%) | 2 (1%) |
| Palpitation | 0 (0%) | 2 (1.%) |
| Ear symptoms (earache, otitis media) | 1 (0.5%) | 2 (1%) |
| Cough, persistent cough | 0 (0%) | 2 (1%) |
Adverse reactions observed in less than 1% of patients:
Table 4: Adverse Reactions in Controlled Trials with an Incidence of Less than 1% but Considered Clinically Relevant in Patients Administered Articaine HCl and Epinephrine| Body System | Reactions |
|---|
| Body as a Whole | Asthenia; back pain; injection site pain; burning sensation above injection site; malaise; neck pain |
| Cardiovascular System | Hemorrhage; migraine; syncope; tachycardia; elevated blood pressure |
| Digestive System | Dyspepsia; glossitis; gum hemorrhage; mouth ulceration; nausea; stomatitis; tongue edemas; tooth disorder; vomiting |
| Hemic and Lymphatic System | Ecchymosis; lymphadenopathy |
| Metabolic and Nutritional System | Edema; thirst |
| Musculoskeletal System | Arthralgia; myalgia; osteomyelitis |
| Nervous System | Dizziness; dry mouth; facial paralysis; hyperesthesia; increased salivation; nervousness; neuropathy; paresthesia; somnolence; exacerbation of Kearns-Sayre Syndrome |
| Respiratory System | Pharyngitis; rhinitis; sinus pain; sinus congestion |
| Skin and Appendages | Pruritus; skin disorder |
| Special Senses | Ear pain; taste perversion |
Absorption: Following dental injection by the submucosal route of an articaine solution containing epinephrine 1:200,000, articaine reaches peak blood concentration about 25 minutes after a single dose injection and 48 minutes after three doses. Peak plasma levels of articaine achieved after 68 and 204 mg doses are 385 and 900 ng/mL, respectively. Following intraoral administration of a near maximum dose of 476 mg, articaine reaches peak blood concentrations of 2037 and 2145 ng/mL for articaine solution containing epinephrine 1:100,000 and 1:200,000, respectively, approximately 22 minutes post-dose.
Distribution: Approximately 60 to 80% of articaine HCl is bound to human serum albumin and γ-globulins at 37°C in vitro.
Metabolism: Articaine HCl is metabolized by plasma carboxyesterase to its primary metabolite, articainic acid, which is inactive. In vitro studies show that the human liver microsome P450 isoenzyme system metabolizes approximately 5% to 10% of available articaine with nearly quantitative conversion to articainic acid.
Excretion: At the dose of 476 mg of articaine, the elimination half-life was 43.8 minutes and 44.4 minutes for articaine solution containing epinephrine 1:100,000 and 1:200,000, respectively. Articaine is excreted primarily through urine with 53-57% of the administered dose eliminated in the first 24 hours following submucosal administration. Articainic acid is the primary metabolite in urine. A minor metabolite, articainic acid glucuronide, is also excreted in urine. Articaine constitutes only 2% of the total dose excreted in urine.
Special Populations: No studies have been performed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of Articaine HCl and Epinephrine injection in pediatric subjects. There is insufficient information to determine whether the pharmacokinetics of Articaine HCl and Epinephrine injection differs by race.
Manufactured by Novocol Pharmaceutical of Canada, Inc.
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada N1R 6X3