Proparacaine

Generic name: Proparacaine hydrochloride
Dosage form: ophthalmic solution
Drug class:Ophthalmic anesthetics

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Feb 1, 2022.

Ophthalmic Solution, USP
0.5% Sterile

Rx Only

DESCRIPTION:

Proparacaine Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution USP, 0.5% is a local anesthetic for ophthalmic instillation. Each mL of sterile, aqueous solution contains: Active: Proparacaine Hydrochloride 5 mg (0.5%). Inactives: Glycerin as a stabilizer, Hydrochloric Acid and/or Sodium Hydroxide may be added to adjust pH (3.5 to 6.0), and Water for Injection. Preservative: Benzalkonium Chloride 0.1 mg (0.01%).

Proparacaine hydrochloride is designed chemically as 2-(Diethylamino)ethyl 3-amino-4-propoxybenzoate monohydrochloride. The active ingredient is represented by the structural formula:

CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY:

Proparacaine Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution is a rapid acting local anesthetic suitable for ophthalmic use. With a single drop, the onset of anesthesia begins within 30 seconds and persists for 15 minutes or longer.

The main site of anesthetic action is the nerve cell membrane where Proparacaine interferes with the large transient increase in the membrane permeability to sodium ions that is normally produced by a slight depolarization of the membrane. As the anesthetic action progressively develops in a nerve, the threshold for electrical stimulation gradually increases and the safety factor for conduction decreases; when this action is sufficiently well developed, block of conduction is produced.

The exact mechanism whereby Proparacaine and other local anesthetics influence the permeability of the cell membrane is unknown; however, several studies indicate that local anesthetics may limit sodium ion permeability by closing the pores through which the ions migrate in the lipid layer of the nerve cell membrane. This limitation prevents the fundamental change necessary for the generation of the action potential.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE:

Proparacaine Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution is indicated for topical anesthesia in ophthalmic practice. Representative ophthalmic procedures in which the preparation provides good local anesthesia include measurement of intraocular pressure (tonometry), removal of foreign bodies and sutures from the cornea, conjunctival scraping in diagnosis and gonioscopic examination; it is also indicated for..