Topical use is usually safe. Dibucaine is an important ingredient in some ointments and creams commonly used to treat sunburn, insect bites, minor burns, cuts, scrapes, and scratches. It is sold as a pain relief cream, an anti-itching cream, and as an ointment used to relieve discomfort from hemorrhoids. Somehow, first-aid creams seem safer than prescription drugs. Tubes of cream seem safer than bottles of pills.
Appearances can be quite deceiving.
This happened to each of these three children within 10 to 20 minutes of putting the tubes in their mouths. How quickly someone's little child can be lost. How easily that could have been my child. Unfortunately, many family medicine chests have creams and ointments purchased more than 7 months ago. Used as directed, these are safe, effective remedies.