bupivacaine
Meaning of bupivacaine: Bupivacaine is a long acting local anesthetic widely used for regional nerve blocks, epidurals, and pain control after surgery.
Definition of bupivacaine
Bupivacaine is a local anesthetic that works by blocking sodium channels in nerve cells, preventing them from transmitting pain signals in the area where it is applied. Compared with some other local anesthetics, bupivacaine has a notably long duration of action, making it useful when extended pain relief is desired from a single dose.
Bupivacaine is widely used for regional anesthesia, including epidural and spinal anesthesia during childbirth and surgery, peripheral nerve blocks, and infiltration around a surgical site to control pain afterward. It is sold under brand names including Marcaine and Sensorcaine.
Because bupivacaine can affect the heart's electrical activity if it enters the bloodstream in sufficient quantity, careful technique and dosing are used when it is injected near major blood vessels, and formulations with a lower risk of this effect have also been developed.
Used in a sentence
Bupivacaine was infiltrated around the incision site to help control pain after the procedure.
Good to know
Bupivacaine carries a greater risk of cardiac toxicity if accidentally injected into a blood vessel compared with some other local anesthetics, a property that influences injection technique and dosing near major vessels.