Articaine

Side effects, and when to stop

Reactions to articaine are characteristic of those associated with other amide local anesthetics. Adverse reactions to this group of drugs may also result from excessive plasma levels (which may be due to overdosage, unintentional intravascular injection, or slow metabolic degradation), injection technique, volume of injection, or hypersensitivity or they may be idiosyncratic.

Who should not take it

Articaine HCl and Epinephrine is contraindicated in patients who are hypersensitive to products containing sulfites. Products containing sulfites may cause allergic-type reactions including anaphylactic symptoms and life-threatening or less severe asthmatic episodes in certain susceptible people. Sulfite sensitivity is seen more frequently in asthmatic than in non-asthmatic people.

Other medicines and interactions

The administration of local anesthetic solutions containing epinephrine to patients receiving monoamine oxidase inhibitors, nonselective beta-adrenergic antagonists or tricyclic antidepressants may produce severe, prolonged hypertension. Phenothiazines and butyrophenones may reduce or reverse the pressor effect of epinephrine. Concurrent use of these agents should generally be avoided. In situations when concurrent therapy is necessary, careful patient monitoring is essential.

Patients who are administered local anesthetics are at increased risk of developing methemoglobinemia when concurrently exposed to the following drugs, which could include other local anesthetics:

Storing it

Articaine HCl and Epinephrine (articaine hydrochloride and epinephrine) injection is a clear, colorless solution available in 1.8 mL single-dose glass cartridges, packaged in boxes of 50 and 100 cartridges in the following two strengths (less than a full cartridge or more than one cartridge may be used for an individual patient):

• Articaine HCl 4% (40 mg/mL) and epinephrine 1:200,000 (as epinephrine bitartrate 0.09 mg/mL):
  • NDC 67239-0210-1 (50 cartridges/box)
• Articaine HCl 4% (40 mg/mL) and epinephrine 1:100,000 (as epinephrine bitartrate 0.018 mg/mL):
  • NDC 67239-0209-1 (50 cartridges/box),

Both products are formulated with a 10% overage of epinephrine.

Storage and Handling Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F); excursions permitted between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). Protect from light. Do not freeze.