Your doctor has treated you with a Lignocaine, Adrenaline and Tetracaine gel. This is an an anaesthetic that can be applied to open wounds.
Lignocaine, Adrenaline and Tetracaine Gel
This is commonly referred to as LAT Gel.
Background
- Skin lacerations requiring cleaning and suturing are commonly seen in children presenting to the ED. Neither of the standard topical anaesthetic agents can be applied to open wounds.
- The alternative of injection of local anaesthesia has a major disadvantage of fear associated with injection among children who may require sedation before a procedure can take place.
- LAT gel is a topical anaesthetic gel that can be applied to open wounds.
- LAT gel reduces the need to inject local anaesthetic/sedation when cleaning and suturing open wounds in children.
Eligibility
- Simple lacerations of the head, neck, limbs, or trunk
- Wound less than 5 cm in length
Contraindications
- Allergy to amide anaesthetics
- Allergy to adrenaline
- Gross contamination of wound
- Involvement of mucous membrane, fingers, toes, genitalia, ear or nose
Method of Application
- Gel is placed onto sterile gauze and then placed onto the wound.
- Dressing should be pressed firmly over the wound for 30 minutes either with tape or the parent’s gloved hand.
- After removing the gauze, the effectiveness of the anaesthesia will be tested by touching with a sterile needle.
- Wound cleaning and suturing should be completed within 15 minutes of removal of the gel.
Disclaimer as unlicensed medication
In the UK, most medicines are issued with a product licence from the government allowing them to be used within guidelines to treat an illness or condition.
Occasionally the need to use a medicine without a licence will occur. These medicines are known as ‘unlicensed medicines’.
There are several reasons why some products do not have a full UK licence, for example:
- They are not currently available from any manufacturers in the UK.
- They are still undergoing a clinical trial.
- Applied for, but still awaiting the granting of a UK licence from the government.
- Usage of the medicine is low and therefore it is not economical for the manufacturer to apply for a licence, or it would be difficult to get enough patients to do a clinical trial to support an application.
This product prescribed for you is an unlicensed medicine, and has been carefully chosen by your doctor and pharmacist as the best medicine for you.
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