Emla Patch - Manufactured by: AstraZeneca

emla® is a local skin anaesthetic that is applied to the skin prior to procedures such as needles, to help prevent pain. By applying emla® at home prior to your procedure, you can significantly reduce pain and distress.

emla® is recommended for many procedures, and is suitable for use by adults and children over six months.2

Some of the procedures emla® is used for include:

Needle insertions

Blood sampling

Pain-free administering of local anaesthetic injections

Superficial skin surgery including:

Moles and Skin Cancer removal

Wart removal

Hair removal

Laser treatment

How to apply emla® patch:

Step 1 Preparation

Make sure that the area of skin to be anaesthetised is clean and dry, e.g. remove any make-up.

Bend back the aluminium backing of the emla® patch at the exposed corner and separate it from the patch.

Do not touch the round white pad in the centre that contains emla®.

Applying the emla® patch to the skin.

Step 2 Application

Apply the patch to the skin, pressing firmly round the edges to ensure good adhesion.

Do not press the centre of the patch. This may squeeze emulsion out under the adhesive.

Writing the time of application onto the emla® patch.

Step 3 Record Time

Write the time of application onto the dressing.                                       

emla® must be applied at least one hour before the procedure and can be left in place for up to five hours for adults and four hours for children.

The longer the patch stays on, the better the anaesthetic effect.