How to Use Marcaine

Marcaine is a local anesthetic in the amino amide group. It is intended for use only in a hospital setting. The generic name is bupivacaine, which is also sold under other names such as Marcain, Sensorcaine and Vivacaine. Marcaine is used in situations that require local anesthesia such as epidurals, nerve blocks and intrathecal anesthesia. Epinephrine can prolong the effects of bupivacaine, and these drugs are sometimes administered together for this reason. Marcaine is available only for use by physicians.

Things You'll Need

• Marcaine
• Proper medical facilities
• Doctor's supervision

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Instructions

• 1

  Examine the specific effects of Marcaine. This local anesthetic requires four to 10 minutes to take effect, depending on the method of administration and lasts for 1 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours. Half of the drug will be eliminated from the adult body within 1 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours.

• 2

  Use the correct dosage of Marcaine as a local anesthesia. This varies widely according to the specific procedure, but a typical administration of Marcaine would be a 0.25 percent solution to a maximum of 175 mg.

• 3

  Administer Marcaine with or without epinephrine for a caudal block. A typical dosage for a child is 1 to 3.7 milligrams of Marcaine per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg). Adult dosages are in the range of 15 to 30 milliliters (ml) of a 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent solution.

• 4

  Use Marcaine for other types of epidurals. Administer this drug in increments of 3 to 5 ml in order to detect any toxic effects. A child's dose is 1.25 mg/kg and an adult dose is 10 to 20 ml of a 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent solution.

• 5

  Use Marcaine in a surgical setting. A dosage of 10 to 20 ml of a 0.75 percent solution will produce a strong anesthetic effect for a prolonged period. This application of Marcaine should not be used on pregnant patients.