title: Benzocaine--an unsatisfactory indicator of topical local anaesthetic sensitization for the U.K.
abstract: Three thousand consecutive patients undergoing patch tests were tested with a mix of benzocaine, amethocaine hydrochloride and cinchocaine hydrochloride. Eighty-four subjects (2.8%) were found to be allergic to this mix. Forty of these were patch tested with the constituents of the mix: 21 (52.5%) patients were sensitive to amethocaine hydrochloride or cinchocaine hydrochloride or both, but not to benzocaine. We recommend that a non-irritant 'caine mix' containing benzocaine, cinchocaine and amethocaine should be included in the standard patch test series for the U.K.
authors.affiliation: Manchester Skin Hospital, U.K.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holden
mesh_terms: D001566:Benzocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003992:Dibucaine / Q000009:adverse effects; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D010328:Patch Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013748:Tetracaine / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D013748:Tetracaine; D003992:Dibucaine; D001566:Benzocaine