Editing Local anesthetic (section)

{{Short description|Medications to reversibly block pain}}
{{For|the novel by Günter Grass|Local Anaesthetic (novel)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
[[File:Local anesthetics general structure.svg|class=skin-invert-image|thumb|Many local anesthetics fall into two general chemical classes, amino esters (top) and amino amides (bottom).]]

A '''local anesthetic''' ('''LA''') is a [[medication]] that causes absence of all [[sense|sensation]] (including [[pain]]) in a specific body part without loss of consciousness,<ref name="nhs.uk">{{Cite web |date=2017-10-17 |title=Types of Anaesthesia |url=https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/anaesthesia/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=nhs.uk}}</ref> providing [[local anesthesia]], as opposed to a [[general anesthetic]], which eliminates all sensation in the entire body and causes [[unconsciousness]].<ref name="nhs.uk" /> Local anesthetics are most commonly used to eliminate pain during or after surgery.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-10-19 |title=Local anaesthesia |url=https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/local-anaesthesia/#:~:text=Local%20anaesthesia%20involves%20numbing%20an,or%20relieve%20pain%20after%20surgery. |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=nhs.uk}}</ref> When it is used on specific nerve pathways ([[local anesthetic nerve block]]), [[paralysis]] (loss of muscle function) also can be induced.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Greenbaum |first1=R. A. |last2=Kaye |first2=G. |last3=Mason |first3=P. D. |date=July 1987 |title=Experience with nalbuphine, a new opioid analgesic, in acute myocardial infarction |journal=Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine |volume=80 |issue=7 |pages=418–421 |doi=10.1177/014107688708000708 |issn=0141-0768 |pmc=1290901 |pmid=3309298}}</ref>