Topical anaesthesia is needed for common procedures such as suturing, wound cleaning, and injection administration. The ideal topical anaesthetic would provide complete anaesthesia following a simple pain-free application, not contain narcotics or controlled substances, and have an excellent safety profile. The combination of topical anaesthetics lidocaine and tetracaine and the vasoconstrictor epinephrine has been used successfully for anaesthesia prior to suturing linear scalp and facial lacerations in children. A triple-anaesthetic gel containing benzocaine, lidocaine, and tetracaine ("BLT") has also been reported to be effective when applied prior to laser and cosmetic procedures. Convenience of application without need for occlusion is an advantage of these topical anaesthetics.

The following article concludes: "LAT gel (4% lidocaine, 1:2000 adrenaline, 0.5% tetracaine) worked as well as TAC gel (0.5% tetracaine, 1:2000 adrenaline, 11.8% cocaine) for topical anaesthesia in facial and scalp lacerations. Considering the advantages of a noncontrolled substance and less expense, LAT gel appears to be better suited than TAC gel for topical anaesthesia in laceration repair in children."

Cosmetic Dermatology 2003 Apr; 16(4):35-7
Topical Triple-Anaesthetic Gel Compared With 3 Topical Anaesthetics