Local anaesthetic drugs are used widely for the provision of anaesthesia and analgesia both intra-and post-operatively. Understanding the pharmacology of these agents as a group, as well as the differences between specific drugs, enables the anaesthetist to use them safely to maximum effect. This article focuses on the basic structure and function of local anaesthetics. Learning will be improved by trying to answer the questions posed in the text before moving on. More detail can be found in the "Further reading" section at the end.
Journal article
Update in Anaesthesia
01/01/2008
24
125 - 127