EMLA. A new and effective topical anesthetic.

A eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) contains 2.5% lidocaine and 2.5% prilocaine in an oil and water emulsion and has been found to give effective, safe analgesia on normal and diseased skin, making it useful for numerous medical and surgical procedures, such as anesthesia for superficial surgery, split-thickness skin grafts, venipuncture, argon laser treatment, epilation, and debridement of infected ulcers. Other indications have included use in postherpetic neuralgia, hyperhidrosis, painful ulcers, and inhibition of itching and burning. To be effective, EMLA should ideally be applied to the desired area for at least 1 hour under an occlusive dressing. The medication has been approved since May 1991 in Canada for use on intact skin and has been available in Europe for many years. This study discusses the background, efficacy, and current and potential uses of EMLA.