EMLA is?

• A. Local anesthetic
• B. Topical anesthetic
• C. Injectable anesthetic
• D. General anesthetic

Answer: (B)

EMLA is a topical anesthetic. It’s a cream applied to the surface of the skin to numb the area before minor procedures or needle sticks. It contains two local anesthetics (lidocaine and prilocaine) that work by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels in peripheral nerves, which stops pain signals from being transmitted from the skin. Since it is applied to the skin and not given by injection or used to make you unconscious, it isn’t an injectable or a general anesthetic. It’s designed for surface numbness rather than deep or systemic anesthesia, though dosing and safety considerations—like the small risk of methemoglobinemia with prilocaine in certain patients—still matter.