Editing Procaine (section)

==Pharmacology==
[[File:US Navy 020623-M-7929S-040 Dental Officer participating in exercise Landing Force Cooperation Readiness and Training (LF CARAT).jpg|left|thumb|Procaine application before removal of a decayed tooth]]
The primary use for procaine is as an anaesthetic.

Aside from its use as a dental anesthetic, procaine is used less frequently today, since more effective (and [[hypoallergenic]]) alternatives such as [[lidocaine]] (Xylocaine) exist. Like other local anesthetics (such as [[mepivacaine]], and [[prilocaine]]), procaine is a vasodilator,  thus is often coadministered with [[epinephrine]] for the purpose of [[vasoconstriction]]. Vasoconstriction helps to reduce bleeding, increases the duration and quality of anesthesia, prevents the drug from reaching systemic circulation in large amounts, and overall reduces the amount of anesthetic required.<ref name="pmid8250339">{{cite journal | vauthors = Sisk AL | title = Vasoconstrictors in local anesthesia for dentistry | journal = Anesthesia Progress | volume = 39 | issue = 6 | pages = 187–93 | date = 1992 | pmid = 8250339 | pmc = 2148619 }}</ref> As a [[dental anesthesia|dental anesthesic]], for example, more novocaine is needed for root canal treatment than for a simple filling.<ref name=denistryismain /> Unlike [[cocaine]], a vasoconstrictor, procaine does not have the [[euphoria|euphoric]] and addictive qualities that put it at risk for abuse.

Procaine, an [[ester]] anesthetic, is metabolized in the [[blood plasma|plasma]] by the enzyme [[Butyrylcholinesterase|pseudocholinesterase]] through [[hydrolysis]] into [[para-Amino benzoic acid|para-amino benzoic acid]] (PABA), which is then excreted by the [[kidney]]s into the [[urine]].

A 1% procaine injection has been recommended for the treatment of extravasation complications associated with venipuncture, steroids, and antibiotics.  It has likewise been recommended for treatment of inadvertent intra-arterial injections (10&nbsp;ml of 1% procaine), as it helps relieve pain and vascular spasm.

Procaine is an occasional additive in illicit street drugs and is presented and sold usually as cocaine or [[heroin]]. <ref>{{cite web | title = Procaine | url = http://www.ecstasydata.org/search.php?substance1=2023 | work = ecstasydata.org }}</ref>