proparacaine

Proparacaine is a rapidly acting local anesthetic of the amino ester group used primarily in ophthalmic practice to numb the eye before procedures such as surgery or diagnostic tests. It works by stabilizing neuronal membranes and inhibiting the ionic fluxes required for initiation and conduction of nerve impulses. The main mechanism involves antagonism of voltage-gated sodium channels at the nerve cell membrane in the cornea and conjunctiva. This action blocks pain signals at nerve endings in the eye and provides short-duration anesthesia (onset within 30 seconds; duration 10–20 minutes). Proparacaine is indicated for topical anesthesia during tonometry, removal of foreign bodies or sutures from the cornea, conjunctival scraping for diagnosis, gonioscopic examination, and prior to surgical operations such as cataract extraction[1][2][3][7].

Brand names

AlcaineAK-TaineOcu-CaineOphthaineOphtheticParcaine

Other names

proparacaine hydrochlorideproxymetacaine