Prilocaine (/ˈpraɪləˌkeɪn/[1]) is a local anesthetic of the amino amide type first prepared by Claes Tegner and Nils Löfgren.
It is also often combined with lidocaine as a topical preparation for dermal anesthesia (lidocaine/prilocaine or EMLA), for treatment of conditions like paresthesia.
As it has low cardiac toxicity, it is commonly used for intravenous regional anaesthesia (IVRA).
In some patients, ortho-toluidine, a metabolite of prilocaine, may cause methemoglobinemia, which may be treated with methylene blue.
A 5% emulsion preparation, containing 2.5% each of lidocaine/prilocaine, is marketed by APP Pharmaceuticals under the trade name EMLA (an abbreviation for eutectic mixture of local anesthetics).