IV Benadryl as local anesthetic - interesting case report and discussion

Reference:  J Clin Aesthetic Dermatol. 2009;2(10):37–40.

Diphenhydramine hydrochloride (DPH) has numerous pharmacological uses in medicine. It is a first-generation, sedating, oral antihistamine. When topically applied, DPH has excellent anesthetic and antipruritic effects. DPH has also been shown to be an effective injectable drug for local anesthesia. This may be due to its three-dimensional structure, which is similar to other anesthetic drugs. The authors present a patient whose history of a severe “allergic” reaction to a “caine” local anesthetic prompted the use of 1% DPH to allow same-day surgery and avoid any possibility of a potentially life-threatening reaction."

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