LA Flashcards
What are LA cartridges made of?
Glass or polypropylene
What is the volume of an LA cartridge?
1.8 - 2.2ml volume of LA agent
What type of needles are used for LA?
2 needle lengths: 20mm and 35mm
2 gauges: 27 and 30
They are pre-sterilised and single use needles
What is the sterilisation process of needles?
- Needles are pre-sterilised
- Cartridges containing LA are pre-sterilised
- Syringe is reusable and must be autoclaved before every use
- Use aseptic technique when assembling and using equipment
Process of LA infiltration
Deposit LA solution close to the to the tissue to be anaesthetised - which allows the solution to diffuse around the fine branches of the sensory nerves in that area.
Regional nerve block process
Deposit LA solution around the main trunk of the sensory nerve, facilitating a block to all the branches of the nerve.
What are the types of LA techniques?
- Maxillary infiltration
- Palatal infiltration
- Mandibular infiltration
- Inferior alveolar nerve block
- Mental nerve block
- Buccal nerve block
Process for surface/topical anaesthesia
- Use topical aesthetic to reduce discomfort of needle entering the tissues - use cotton bud to apply to point of injection
- Wait a few minutes for it to work
General tips for LA administration
- Hold the mucosa taut
- Inject slowly
- Aspirate to ensure not inside a BV
- LA solution at room temperature is less painful than cold solution
- Place a small amount of LA then aspirate before depositing the bulk
- Avoid injecting subperiosteally, we want to inject supra-periosteally.
Maxillary infiltration technique
- Use a short needle
- Advance the needle through the mucosa to the apex of the tooth
- Stay supraperiosteal
- Always aspirate before injecting
Palatal infiltration technique
- Inject at junction of the alveolus and hard palate
2. Be mindful of the greater palatine artery
Incisive canal - palatal infiltration technique
- This infiltration aneastethise the naso-palatine nerve- essential a type of nerve block
- Can be uncomfortable to inject this area - place small drop to slight aneasthetise and then gradually place more
Mandibular infiltration technique
- Most effective anesthesia for the incisors - as the cortical bone is thick anteriorly compared to posteriorly (inject into mucosa)
- Also used to anaesthetise the buccal mucosa for surgical purposes
Inferior alveolar nerve block technique
- IAN enters the mandible at the mandibular foramen by the lingula 2. LA must be deposited ay this site before it enters bone, within in the pterygomandibular space (between the external oblique ridge and pterygomandibular raphe)
Direct technique for inferior alveolar nerve block
- Lingula is often halfway between the anterior and posterior border of the ramus of the mandible
- Aim above the lingula to stay lateral to the sphenomandibular ligament
- Needle should be parallel to the occlusal plane
- Angle the syringe across from the premolars on the contralateral side, pierce mucosa at a point 1cm above the occlusal plane
- Advance until touching bone, withdraw slightly
- Aspirate
- Release slowly into the pterygomandibular space
Indirect technique for inferior alveolar nerve block
- Needle in line with teeth on ipsilateral side
- 1cm above and parallel to the occlusal plane
- Touch the internal oblique ridge, edge past it then swing the syringe to contralateral side and advance to position above the lingula
Buccal nerve block
- Buccal nerve supplies the lateral mucosa of the molars
- Targets the buccal nerve as it passes over anterior aspect of the ramus
- Insert needle distal and lateral to the last molar tooth
Infraorbital nerve block
- Blocks cheek, gingiva, incisors, canine and first premolar
- Palpate the infraorbital rim with index finger
- IO foramen is approximately 1cm below this rim
- Direct percutaneous approach possible
- Oral approach high in sulcus at level of the canine
- Advance needle superiorly, external finger will feel the swelling as injection is performed
Maxillary nerve block
- Cheek, gingiva and maxillary dentition will become anaesthetised
- Infiltrate around the greater palatine foramen - at the level of the second molar
- Needle at 45 degrees to palate
- Advance up the GP foramen for approx. 30mm
- Aspiration and very slow injection
- To help help find GFP - follow the line from hamulus to the lateral incisor and the GFP is most likely to be at the distal aspect of 7
What are the complications of a maxillary nerve block?
- Regional CN VI block - diplopia on lateral gaze
- Haematoma
- Retrobulbar block
- CN II block - temporary blindness
CN V3 blocks technique types
- Gow Gates Mandibular nerve block
2. Varizani-Akinosi Technique
Gow-Gates Mandibular block
- Developed by Dr Gow-Gates in the 70’s
- Commonly aneasthetises IA, Lingual and long Buccal branches
- LA delivered at the neck of the condyle just under insertion of the lateral pterygoid muscle
- Advantages include; less pain on injection due to less muscle tissue in the path of the needle. This reason is also less vascularised, so LA is not cleared quickly
Gow-Gates mandibular nerve block technique
- Open mouth widely to bring the condlye forward
- Place middle finger over intertragal notch
- Thumb retracts the cheek palpating coronoid and external oblique ridge
- Needle comes from the contralateral premolars, pierces mucosa posterior to tuberosity
- Advance towards the intertragal notch until you hit bone - approx 2.5mm
Varizani-Akinosi block principles
- Described by Varizani in the 60’s
- Closed mouth technique
- Commonly anaesthetises IA, lingual and long buccal branches
- Advantages include that it is good for people with trismus, ankylosis and large tongues, it is also pain free due to musclular relaxation
What are the types of LA used in Australia?
- Lignocaine 2% with adrenaline
- Prilocaine 3% with Felypressin
- Articaine 4% withe Adrenaline
- Mepivicaine 3%
When to use a type of LA?
- Lignocaine with adrenaline - multipurpose and useful
- be careful for people with arrhythmia or liver disease - Prilocaine with Felypressin is a good alternative.
- Be cautious during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, pulmonary disease and those with ischaemic heart disease - Articaine with adrenaline - good bony penetration
- Cautious with block technique due to potential for neurotoxicity
- Currently TGA recommends as infiltration only - Mepivicaine - good alternative to all LAs, especially if the patient has a medical issue with the use of vasoconstrictors