The potentiality of dental professional/ endodontists to carry out routine procedures successfully relies chiefly on the adequacy of local anaesthesia achieved. However, local anaesthetics (including lidocaine, the most commonly used local anaesthetic) have a tendency to cause pain on mucosal infiltration, which adds to patient anxiety during procedures.1 In fact, investigators have reported a more painful skin and subcutaneous infiltration with an epinephrine-containing lidocaine.2
The most probable mechanism of this pain is attributed to the reduced pH of an epinephrine-containing lidocaine compared to a plain lidocaine solution. A weakly basic amide, lidocaine being unstable at pH of 7.9, is made in acidic preparations to to enhance the solubility and prolong shelf life. Moreover, epinephrine is added to lidocaine to extend the half-life of the anesthetic, lessen toxicity, and provide hemostasis. Because epinephrine is only stable for lengthy phases in an acidic environment, the pH of commercially available premixed lidocaine with epinephrine is lower than that of plain lidocaine (pH 3.3-5.5) and the acidity can give rise to tissue irritation which may be felt by patients as a stinging or burning pain. 3,4
Based on the attributed mechanism, most common method for buffering is the alkalinisation of the lidocaine with sodium bicarbonate just before injection. Buffering with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) 8.4%in a 10:1 or 9:1 ratio (10 or 9 parts lidocaine-epinephrine 1% containing 5 microgram/ml to 1 part sodium bicarbonate containing 8.4g/l) more closely matches the neutral pH (around 7.4) in human tissues and has been demonstrated to cause less CDJIpain than unbuffered lidocaine.1, 5-13
2. CONTENTS
Mechanism Of Action of local
anaesthetics
Factors Influencing Pain
Science of Buffering
How The Intervention Works
Formulation
Study Questionnaire
Characteristics of individual studies
Benefits
Other Considerations
Conclusion
References
7. o Many factors influence the pain of injection:
1. pH of lidocaine solution
2. Introduction of needle
3. Rate of injection
4. Pressure from fluid distention of tissue
Scarfone RJ, Jasani M, Gracely EJ. Pain of local anesthetics: Rate of administration and buffering. Ann Emerg Med 1998;31:36-40.
Momsen OH, Roman CM, Mohammed BA, et al. Neutralization of lidocaine-adrenaline. A simple method for less painful application of local anesthesia. Ugeskr Laeger 2000;162:4391-4.
Weakly basic amide- lidocaine - unstable at pH of 7.9
Prepared in acidic formulations to increase its stability and shelf life.
Resultant pH = typically 4.7
Well below physiological pH, and acidity can cause tissue irritation that may be perceived by patients
as a stinging or burning pain
10. CO2 potentiates local anesthesia by :
1. Direct depressant effect on axon.
2. Concentrating the local anesthetic inside nerve trunk (ion trapping).
3. Converting local anesthetic to the active cationic form within nerve axoplasm
(lowering its internal pH)
How the intervention works
Increase in pH of
solution
Production of
CO2 + H2O
CO2 :
• Increase in flow of
local anaesthetic
• Reduced onset time
• Spread of analgesia
by 20% to 30% in
epidural anesthesia
CATCHLOVE (1973)
Bromage et al. (1967)
11. FORMULATION
10:1 or 9:1 ratio
more closely matches the
neutral pH (around 7.4) in
human tissues and
decreases injection pain.10 or 9 parts
of lidocaine-
epinephrine
1 part sodium
bicarbonate
containing
8.4g/l
22. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
• Buffering decreases usual shelf life
• Antibacterial activity of lidocaine not been found to get diminished by
bicarbonate buffer
• Ong et al. : increasing pH in buffered lignocaine is unable to fully explain
the minimization of pain on injection : clinical experiences: procaine,
chloroprocaine (more acidic) less painful on infiltration.
• Suggestion of possible link in relationship between lipid solubility and
painful infiltration
23. CONCLUSION
• Buffering local anesthetics has 2.29 times greater
likelihood of achieving successful anesthesia.
• Ensuring profound anesthesia with minimum discomfort
should be the basic focus of any dental professional
24. 1. Christoph, R. A., Buchanan, L., Begalla, K., & Schwartz, S. (1988). Pain reduction in local anesthetic administration through pH
buffering. AnnalsofEmergency Medicine, 17(2),117–120.
2. Sajad A et alMinimizing thepain in localanesthesia injection – A review Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatologists. 2016;26
(2):138-3.138
3. Kattan, Sereen; Karabucak, Bekir; Hersh, Elliot V.; Korostoff, Johnathan M.; and Hunter, Paul, "Do Buffered Local Anesthetics
Provide More Successful Anesthesia Over Non-Buffered Solutions in Patients Requiring Dental Therapy? – A Systematic Review&
Meta-Analysis." (2017).DentalTheses. 19.
4. Momsen, O. H., Roman, C. M., Mohammed, B. A., & Andersen, G. (2000).Buffering of lignocaine-epinephrine - A simple method for
less painfulapplication of localanaesthesia.danish.Ugeskrift forLaeger,162(33),4391-4394
5. Burns CA, Ferris G, Feng C et al. Decreasing the pain of local anesthesia: A prospective, double-blind comparison of buffered,
premixed 1%lidocaine with epinephrine versus 1% lidocaine freshly mixed with epinephrine. J AmAcadDermatol 2006;54:128-31.
6. ScarfoneRJ,Jasani M, Gracely EJ. Pain of localanesthetics: Rateofadministration andbuffering.Ann Emerg Med 1998;31:36-40.
REFERENCES
Good Morning Respected Staff and my dear colleagues . My topic for today is Buffered
I’ll be covering it under the following headings.
To introduce , as we all know Local anesthetics (LAs) form the backbone of pain control techniques in dentistry. local anesthesia has progressed considerably since cocaine was used as the first primary numbing agent in 1884. Today, most commonly used local anaesthetics are lidocaine and articaine.
Before we discuss about the buffering anaesthetics, we shall discuss about the mechanism of the local anaesthetic.
The site of action of local anaesthetics is believed to be the nerve membrane.---afferent nerve fibres =-
Generally what happens is that in nerve cells, the most important ions- Na ions--- action potentials are created by the influx of sodium ions from the surrounding tissues. These action potentials result in the conduction of nerve impulses—---pain message is sent to the brain
Now how local anaesthetics act is that they decrease the permeability of nerve membranes to Na ions which in turn prevents the conduction of impulses (By impeding the influx of sodium ions into the neuron, la block the conduction of impulses) prevent excitation along a neural pathway, and give rise to anesthesia (Malamed, 2013).
Local anesthesia –weak base -, diisolve din water or saline;---is present in two ionic forms that exist in equilibrium within an anesthetic cartridge:
RN (the uncharged, deionized, ‘active’ free base form of the drug which is lipid soluble)
RNH+ (the ‘charged’ or ionized cationic form, which is not lipid soluble);
We need to know only the lipid soluble de-ionized form can cross the nerve membrane.
However only the ionised form is able to bind to the Na channel receptors.
Lipid soluble part—RN Once within the nerve, since because of the physiological pH slightly acidic- ---la becomes ionised-the RN picks up a H+ (tissue ph is acidic—more H+ions) with the resultant RNH+ --then entering a Na+ channel---prevent the infux of na- to block nerve conduction.
Inflammation and infection represent an additional obstacle in anesthetic performance. Inflamed/infected tissue is more acidic why---acidic environment—more H+ will e prese ---RNH+ will be formed compared to RN—thus lesser RN will cross the nerve membrane—because of which anestehsis is delayed ir not very profound
To summarise: RN uncharged—crosses the nerve membrane—inside since pH is slightly acidic—RNH+ -blocks the Na channel—blocks conduction of nerve impulse—anesthesia-
Important point:
; Only after the body is able to buffer the pH of the anesthetic solution closer toward the physiologic range (7.35 – 7.45) , only at that time the anesthetic actions begin to take effect. Eg 1—basic Eg 2 –acidic—easier—alkaline ---most anestehtic solutions are not stable in basic envirnment0---
Problem is that the pH of the commonly used solutions is around –3-4—mostly acidic-- The time that this transformation requires is a key factor in anesthetic latency (Malamed, 2013).---that prolongs the onset timeSolution---to get an alkaline anestehtci solution which will reduce this transformation period and facilitate the onset time
they are prepared in acidic formulations –-charged acid form of the molecule is more stable, more water soluble, longer shelf life (Malamed, 2013.Also, sodium metabisulfite antioxidant which increases shelf life of epinephrine further decreases the pH (Fyhr & Brodin, 1987). Administering acid into tissue can cause operative sensitivity, and due to the repeated injections often needed when administering traditional local anesthesia, the body’s natural buffering capacity can become depleted, resulting in acidosis of the tissue. Tachyphylaxis is a common problem associated with the use of traditional local anesthesia.3
In fact The most frequently used local anesthetic in dermatological practice is lidocaine (1% or 2%) combined with epinephrine 1:100,000. The pH of this product (pH4.2) is,however, approximately 1000 times more acidic than subcutaneous tissue(pH7.4) and this acidity contributes to uncomfortable stinging and burning with infiltration
Therefore, it is rational to market local anesthetics within a pH range of 5.0 to 7.0 to enhance solubility and prolong shelf-life. On the other hand, raising the pH to 7.2 to 7.4 may have a positive impact on anesthetic efficacy by increasing the percentage of the local anesthetic in the uncharged form, enhancing so . If the pH of the anesthetic solution is adjusted toward its pKa (7.9 for lidocaine, 7.6 for mepivacaine), an increasing percentage of the product will be the uncharged base form. Most amines and amides are chemically unstable in this uncharged form, being subject to photodegradation, aldehyde formation, and other denaturing reactions. While the shelf-life of lidocaine and mepivacaine adjusted to a pH of 7.2 to 7.4 has not been measured precisely, it follows that raising their pH to this level would substantially reduce effective storage shelf-life and solubility, 6.0.The downside of using lidocaine with epinephrine, however, is that it has an approximate pH of 3.9 (or that of a lemon), whereas the human body has a more neutral pH of approximately 7.2 to 7.4 (Figure 1).
Several factors have been shown to affect the pain of administering local anesthesia. Smaller needle sizes, perpendicular needle angle to
the skin, slower speed of injection and warming the solution are all factors that decrease the pain of injection (1,5-7). A factor that has been investigated by several studies is altering the pH of lidocaine to be more compatible with physiological pH, which can done by bufferingBuffering of local anesthetics (alkalinization) has been suggested to achieve pain control (Davies, 2003) buffering will increase the dissociation rate of the local anesthetic molecule and thus increase the uncharged base form that crosses the nerve membrane to the intra- neuronal site where it exerts its action (Gosteli et al., 1995). The most common method for buffering of local anesthetics is with the addition of sodium bicarbonate. It is an alkalinizing agent, which is most commonly used for the treatment of metabolic acidosis.
Short video about the mechanism and the working of these buffered anestehtics
The conventional anestehtic-traditional—have well known limitations—variable onset, inconsistency, pain at the time of injection.
Lidocaine—typically—cause a stinging and burning sensation—can cause lingering pain for several days due to tissue damage—
As we said, in an acidic envrinoment, the amount of RN molecules avaialbe are very less and thus 1 in 25000 are able to pass the nerve membrane –resulting in delayed anestehsis until the body can buffer it till the physiological pH. This makes the anestehtic success dependent on the indiviuslas biiffereng capacity-15 min
ONSET MIXING PEN-hugh precision—dispending device—safely bufeer la just prior to injection –
Bicarbonate ctrtridge—2 transfer tubes
One end we have the na hco3—other aneshetich solutuin—mixing time—1-2 sec
Upon mixing-excess anesthetic is moved to thw waste reservoir via second needle—
Ths ph ets adjusted –la contains 6000 times more of RN—lipid soluble—croses the nerve membrane0-
Large amt of molecules inside the nerve membrane—
Converted to acidic form
High levels of co2 create an acidic environment that facilitates acidic conversion---critical in blocking the na channdl
Hence profound anestehsis --
When sodium bicarbonate is mixed with lidocaine the byproduct is carbon dioxide (CO2 ). CO2 -rich solutions may have several benefits relative to the anesthetic effect, including the creation of a CO2 microbubble that has an anesthetic topical effect that can be leveraged, numbing the tissue and easing pain felt during the injection of a buffered solution
9 parts 1 par
Additional topical applications that can be used are benzocaine and compounded anesthetics, each with their own benefits and disadvantages, including psychosomatic effects and increased toxicity, respectively.
How the intervention might work
The addition of sodium bicarbonate to local anesthetics not only will increase the pH of the solution, but will also result in the production of carbon dioxide and water (Ackerman et al., 1992). Several authors have reported on the effect of carbon dioxide on local anesthetics and anesthesia.
Condouris & Shakalis (1964: isolated rat sciatic nerve model; carbon dioxide potentiated the action of local anesthetics;presence of carbon dioxide, nerve conduction blockade was significantly greater than in its absence.
Bromage et al. (1967) co2 acts by increasing the flow of local anesthetic into the nerve, shortened the time to onset and spread of analgesia by 20% to 30% in epidural
anesthesia. .
Catchlove–
1.
2.
3. Block Na channedls
Co2 released but --While this initial effect may be beneficial, as a gas, however, buffered
anesthetics in a glass carpule may be considered unstable. Without the timely injection of
the buffered mixture, the unreleased gas may be further responsible for the recognized
precipitate over time. Tissue damage from such an unstable mixture and precipitate could
also be of clinical concern. No precipitation was reported in any of the studies included.
Furthermore,
clinicians need to be aware that although the local anesthetic concentration in buffered
solutions remains constant over time, epinephrine concentrations in buffered lidocaine
solutions decrease substantially over 24 hours (Larson et al., 1991; Robinson et al., 2000).
Therefore, production of prepared buffered solutions of local anesthetic in factories is not
preferred.
Buffering of lidocaine is most commonly performed by adding 1 ml of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate to 10 ml of local anesthetic. An 8.4% solution of sodium bicarbonate would contain 1 mEq each of sodium and bicarbonate ions per mL. The 10:1 local anesthetic to bicarbonate ratio has been shown to raise the pH to a more physiologic range (
Richtsmeier & Hatcher, 1995). Buffering of local anesthetic solutions with sodium bicarbonate not only
raises the pH of the solutions but also leads to production of carbon dioxide (CO2) and
water as a byproduct. Catchlove, (1973) first demonstrated that CO2 in a lidocaine solution
has an independent anesthetic effect and that both chemicals have similar effects on
peripheral nerves..
Basic pH solutions convert lidocaine into its active, unionized form and hence, alkalinizing the anaesthetic mixture also decreases the time of onset of its effects.
Materials used for buffering: Cartridge, La, NaHco3, Insulin syringe
Load the lignocaine cartridge into the syringe and attach th needle
Dilution factor—9/10:1- which means that after every 10 ml of la, add 1 ml of nahco3; 2ml la catridge = 0.2 ml of nahco3
3. So well remove 0.2ml of la to create space for nahco3
4. 40 unit/ml syringe 0.2ml=10 units
Nahco3 till 10 units mark , Injected into the la ,As injecting—plunger is moving backward—used immediately--- ting less Act faster Min. tissue damage
1. do not buffer and allow to stand).
3. Do not keep overnight once opened.
Once solution is ready---used for the different nerve blocks—
Even dermatologists have used this
Nect we give a questionnaire to the pateints---whch inclued
intrapulpal
This shows the comapaison of onset time for lidocaine, articaine and buffered lidocaine
X axis—minutes
Y axixs- % of pateints—fullt numb
As wee see, the higher perentage in buffred and also the duration---effective over more than half an hour without any reduction in the anestehtic efficacy compared to the others
LA 2
USING BUFFERED ANESTEHTIC TO PAIN IM….
1.One of the main benefits of using a buffered anesthesia is its ability to work quickly.4 It has been estimated that buffering can save up to 30 minutes (Figure 2).9 When an anesthetic such as lidocaine or articaine is used, it takes on average 15 minutes for the patient to get numb, whereas it can take as little as 2 minutes for a buffered anesthetic to take effect.7
Reducing the amount of time it takes for anesthesia to take effect can increase patient satisfaction as well as practice efficiency and revenue. More procedures can be done during a 1-hour appointment block and patients can be pulled out of hygiene to have procedures done as a result of anesthesia taking effect quickly. Because only a few minutes are needed until the patient becomes numb, practitioners can wait with the patient, assuaging fears and creating a better experience
2. In addition to timeliness, because of a patient’s individual buffering capacity, between 30% and 40% of patients will not get numb after the initial shot with a traditional anesthetic.9 Often an additional shots will need to be administered, increasing the total amount of time it takes for the full anesthetic effect to happen and increasing toxicity levels. While no anesthesia is 100% effective on the first injection, because buffered anesthesia works so quickly, the time it takes to realize a patient has not gone numb and administer a second shot is much less than that with an unbuffered anestheti
4. Additionally, buffered anesthesia also helps to reduce pain10 and minimize the burn felt during injection The alleviation of pain associated with infiltration of buffered local anesthetic could hypothetically be attributed to two processes: the adjustment of local anesthetic pH toward the physiologic range of 7.0 to 7.4 reduces the direct tissue irritation caused by the infiltration of a more acidic compound; and by increasing the pH of the local anesthetic to 7.0 to 7.4, the relative concentration of local anesthetic in the uncharged form is increased, thus enhancing interstitial dispersion of the local anesthetic. The result might be sensory nerve blockade occurring almost instantaneousl
The low pH of local anesthetics may contribute to pain during the actual administration (injection) of the local anesthetic solution; a slower than desired onset of profound (pulpal) anesthesia; and less than optimal effectiveness when seeking to anaesthetize inflamed/infected teeth (Malamed, 2013; Hargreaves & Keiser, 2002).
however, this suggestionneeds to be analytically evaluated further
PATIENT BUFFERING CAPACITY While all people can become numb, patients’ buffering capacities will differ. This is often why varying lengths of time are needed for anesthesia to be effective. Certain conditions, such as chronic fatigue, have already been shown to have a negative effect on a patient’s buffering capacity.14 Additional research is being done to determine if other groups of patients, such as those with uncontrolled diabetes or chronic stress, have lower buffering capacity as well. Developing research also indicates that stress may alter buffering capacity for the short-term
. Dental anxiety and phobia, being the most frequently encountered problems in clinical practice are often closely linked to a painful stimulus. Ensuring profound anesthesia in such patients with minimum discomfort should be the basic focus of any dental professional. Moreover, it is an absolute necessity in endodontics since pulp extirpation, enlarging the canal in vital teeth and at times even obturation can be extremely painful if successful anesthesia is not achieved. Neutralizing the pH of lidocaine has been previously shown to decrease the pain of injection. Hence this is a simple, inexpensive method which can easily be performed by dentists shortly before local anaesthetic injection to deliver high quality patient care.
References
Christoph, R. A., Buchanan, L., Begalla, K., & Schwartz, S. (1988). Pain reduction in local anesthetic administration through pH buffering. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 17(2), 117–120.doi:10.1016/s0196-0644(88)80293-2
Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatologists. 2016;26 (2):138-3. 138 Address for correspondence Dr. Sajad Ahmad Salati MBBS, MS, MRCS (Glasgow) Assistant Professor of Surgery Unaizah College of Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Email: docsajad@yahoo.co.in Review Article Minimizing the pain in local anesthesia injection – A review Sajad Ahmad Salati