indication

Used as a local anesthetic for surface application, infiltration or nerve block

pharmacology

Hexylcaine is a local ester-class anesthetic. Local anesthetics produce a transient block of nerve conduction by interfering with sodium channels. This effect of the anesthetic interferes with the development of an action potential across the nerve.

mechanism of action

Hexyl caine acts mainly by inhibiting sodium influx through voltage gated sodium channels in the neuronal cell membrane of peripheral nerves. When the influx of sodium is interrupted, an action potential cannot arise and signal conduction is thus inhibited. The receptor site is thought to be located at the cytoplasmic (inner) portion of the sodium channel.

toxicity

Symptoms of anesthetic overdose include headache, tinnitus, circumoral and tongue paresthesias, restlessness, talkativeness, facial twitching, convulsions, respiratory arrest, and cardiac depression

biotransformation

Hydrolyzed by plasma esterases to benzoic acid and other derivatives

half life

<10 minutes