Tetracaine
Tetracaína
- Date
- 1930 · confidence high
- Place
- Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Credited to
- Otto Eisleb
- Field
- Life & health
What it is
An ester-type local anesthetic used to numb the eyes, nose or throat and to reduce pain before intravenous procedures; it works by blocking nerve impulse transmission.
Patented in 1930, entered medical use in 1941 and is on the WHO list of essential medicines.
What it led to
- Safer topical ophthalmic anesthesia
- Less painful intravenous procedures
- New ester-type anesthetics derived from it
Built on
- Cocaine as a local anesthetic