Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adrenaline
- An emergency medicine injected into the muscle to treat a severe allergic reaction. Also added in tiny amounts to some anaesthetics to reduce bleeding.
- Anaphylaxis
- A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction needing immediate emergency treatment.
- Aspiration
- Pulling back on the syringe before injecting to check the needle is not in a blood vessel.
- Bradycardia
- An unusually slow heart rate.
- Circumoral tingling
- A pins-and-needles feeling around the mouth, often the first warning sign of too much anaesthetic in the bloodstream.
- Dysaesthesia
- An unpleasant or abnormal sensation in the skin, such as burning or tingling.
- Field block
- Numbing the area around a lesion rather than injecting into it.
- Infiltration
- Injecting anaesthetic directly into the tissue to be treated.
- LAST (local anaesthetic systemic toxicity)
- Poisoning caused by too much anaesthetic reaching the bloodstream, which can cause fits or stop the heart.
- Summary of product characteristics (SPC)
- The manufacturer's official document setting out how a medicine must be used, including its maximum dose.
- Tinnitus
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears.
- Vasoconstrictor
- A substance that narrows blood vessels, reducing bleeding at the site.
- Vasovagal episode
- A common faint brought on by pain, anxiety or the sight of a needle. It is not an allergy.
- Yellow Card scheme
- The official way of reporting a suspected side effect of a medicine to the UK medicines regulator.