Death or serious side effects from topical anesthetic

[3rdcareerRN]

Just found this at the U.S. FDA site: {my emphasis added}

"FDA is aware of two instances where women, aged 22 and 25 years old, applied topical anesthetics to their legs to lessen the pain of laser hair removal. These women then wrapped their legs in plastic wrap, as they were instructed, to increase the creams' numbing effect. Both women had seizures, fell into comas, and subsequently died from the toxic effects of the anesthetic drugs. The skin numbing creams used in these two cases were made in pharmacies and contained high amounts of the anesthetic drugs lidocaine and tetracaine. FDA also has received reports of serious and life-threatening side effects such as irregular heart beat, seizures and coma, and slowed or stopped breathing following the use of these numbing products. These effects happened in both children and adults and when the anesthetic drug was used both for approved and unapproved conditions. "

from http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/advisory/topical_anesthetics.htm

The LPNs and RNs reading this would (I hope) follow physician orders and drug-admin guidelines and thereby minimize risk, but unlicensed personnel may not realize how powerful and even deadly these drugs can be.