Prilocaine is a local anesthetic

Local anesthetic

A local anesthetic is a drug that causes reversible local anesthesia, generally for the aim of having local analgesic effect, that is, inducing absence of pain sensation, although other local senses are often affected as well...

 of the amino amide

Amide

In chemistry, an amide is an organic compound that contains the functional group consisting of a carbonyl group linked to a nitrogen atom . The term refers both to a class of compounds and a functional group within those compounds. The term amide also refers to deprotonated form of ammonia or an...

 type first prepared by Claes Tegner and Nils Lofgren. In its injectable

Parenteral

Parenteral is a route of administration that involves piercing the skin or mucous membrane. Parenteral nutrition refers to providing nutrition via the veins.-Etymology:...

 form (trade name Citanest), it is often used in dentistry

Dentistry

Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...

. It is also often combined with lidocaine as a preparation for dermal anesthesia (lidocaine/prilocaine

Lidocaine/prilocaine

Lidocaine/prilocaine is a eutectic mixture of equal quantities of lidocaine and prilocaine. A 5% emulsion preparation, containing 2.5% each of lidocaine/prilocaine, is marketed by APP Pharmaceuticals under the trade name EMLA .-Eutectic mixture:Separately, lidocaine and prilocaine are solid bases...

 or EMLA), for treatment of conditions like paresthesia

Paresthesia

Paresthesia , spelled "paraesthesia" in British English, is a sensation of tingling, burning, pricking, or numbness of a person's skin with no apparent long-term physical effect. It is more generally known as the feeling of "pins and needles" or of a limb "falling asleep"...

. As it has low cardiac toxicity, it is commoly used for intravenous regional anaesthesia (IVRA).

In some patients, a metabolite of prilocaine may cause the unusual side effect of methemoglobinemia

Methemoglobinemia

Methemoglobinemia is a disorder characterized by the presence of a higher than normal level of methemoglobin in the blood. Methemoglobin is an oxidized form of hemoglobin that has an increased affinity for oxygen, resulting in a reduced ability to release oxygen to tissues. The oxygen–hemoglobin...

, which may be treated with methylene blue

Methylene blue

Methylene blue is a heterocyclic aromatic chemical compound with the molecular formula C16H18N3SCl. It has many uses in a range of different fields, such as biology and chemistry. At room temperature it appears as a solid, odorless, dark green powder, that yields a blue solution when dissolved in...

.

Maximum dosage for dental use: 8.0 mg/kg (2.7 mg/lb), with a maximum dose of 500 mg.

It is given as a combination with the vasoconstrictor

Local anesthetic with vasoconstrictor

A local anesthetic with vasoconstrictor is a combination drug of a local anesthetic in order to induce absence of pain in an area, given with a vasoconstrictor in order to increase the duration of local anesthesia by constricting the blood vessels, thereby safely concentrating the anesthetic agent...

 epinephrine

Epinephrine

Epinephrine is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels, dilates air passages and participates in the fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system. In chemical terms, adrenaline is one of a group of monoamines called the catecholamines...

under the trade name Citanest Forte.