Dibucaine is an amide anesthetic used for local and regional anesthesia , it is one of the most potent and toxic long acting local anesthetics it is restricted mainly to spinal anesthesia. The mechanism of action is by blocking the initiation and conduction of nerve impulses, it disturbs the neuronal membrane permeabillity to sodium ions by inhibiting the sodium channel. By binding of dibucaine to the membrane it stabilizes it and inhibits the depolarization thus resulting in a failure to propagate an action potential and blocks conduction. Dibucaine ionized forms (salts) are not absorbed through intact skin, although nonionized (bases) and ionized forms are absorbed into the circulation if the skin is abraded. If too much dibucaine is administered this can lead to overdose, this can be seen through the following symptoms convulsions, hypoxia, acidosis, bradycardia, arrhythmias and cardiac arrest.

Dibucaine References