critical care medicine
Drugs to Aid Intubation
Topical anesthesia for intubation
Intubation of an awake patient (typically not done in children) requires anesthesia of the nose and pharynx. A commercial aerosol preparation ofbenzocaine,tetracaine, butyl aminobenzoate (butamben), and benzalkonium is commonly used. Alternatively, 4%lidocainecan be nebulized and inhaled via face mask. Caution is needed whenbenzocaineis used because it can cause methemoglobinemia. 