Page last updated: 2024-11-05

ethyl chloride

Description Research Excerpts Clinical Trials Roles Classes Pathways Study Profile Bioassays Related Drugs Related Conditions Protein Interactions Research Growth Market Indicators

Description

Ethyl Chloride: A gas that condenses under slight pressure. Because of its low boiling point ethyl chloride sprayed on skin produces an intense cold by evaporation. Cold blocks nerve conduction. Ethyl chloride has been used in surgery but is primarily used to relieve local pain in sports medicine. [Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), National Library of Medicine, extracted Dec-2023]

chloroethane : The simplest and least toxic member of the class of chloroethanes, that is ethane in which a single hydrogen is substituted by a chlorine. A colourless gas at room temperature and pressure (boiling point 12degreeC), it is used as a mild topical anaesthetic to numb the skin prior to ear piercing, skin biopsies, etc., and is also used in the treatment of sports injuries. It was formerly used in the production of tetraethyllead. [Chemical Entities of Biological Interest (ChEBI), Hastings J, Owen G, Dekker A, Ennis M, Kale N, Muthukrishnan V, Turner S, Swainston N, Mendes P, Steinbeck C. (2016). ChEBI in 2016: Improved services and an expanding collection of metabolites. Nucleic Acids Res]

Cross-References

ID SourceID
PubMed CID6337
CHEMBL ID46058
CHEBI ID47554
MeSH IDM0007893

Synonyms (100)

Synonym
gebauer's ethyl chloride
ethyl chloride
ethyl chloride (chloroethane)
dublofix
chloroethyl group
kelene
ccris 3349
aethylis chloridum
hsdb 533
nci-c06224
75-00-3
chlorethyl
chelen
chloryl anesthetic
muriatic ether
anodynon
hydrochloric ether
narcotile
ether muriatic
cloretilo
ether chloratus
monochloroethane
aethylis
chloridum
ethane, chloro- (8ci,9ci)
monochlorethane
ai3-24474
chlorene
f 160
ether hydrochloric
chloryle anesthetic
r 160
chloryl
ethyl chloride (usp)
D04088
chloroethane
ethane, chloro-
inchi=1/c2h5cl/c1-2-3/h2h2,1h
1-chloro-ethane
aethylchlorid [german]
etylu chlorek [polish]
chlorure d'ethyle [french]
c2h5cl
cloroetano [italian]
ether chloridum
un1037
chloroaethan [german]
einecs 200-830-5
chloorethaan [dutch]
aethylchloride [german]
cloruro di etile [italian]
chloroethane, >=99.7%
mono-chloroethane
CHEBI:47554 ,
68411-72-3
CHEMBL46058
AKOS000261558
C18248
FT-0694900
chloranylethane
A838306
einecs 270-142-8
cloroetano
chloroaethan
aethylchlorid
ethyl chloride [usp]
46u771erwk ,
chlorure d'ethyle
etylu chlorek
chloorethaan
ec 200-830-5
ethyl chloride [un1037] [flammable gas]
cloruro di etile
aethylchloride
unii-46u771erwk
un 1037
ethyl chloride [vandf]
ethyl chloride [mi]
ethyl chloride [hsdb]
ethyl chloride [usp impurity]
ethyl chloride [who-dd]
chloroethane [iarc]
ethyl chloride [mart.]
aetyl chloride
ethylchloride
1-chloroethane #
C2882
C2883
DTXSID1020302
chloroethane, >=99.8%
mfcd00000961
chloroethane, purum, >=98.0%
chloroethane, >=98.0%
chloroethane 99%
chloroethane 100 microg/ml in methanol
DB13259
chloro-ethane
Q409133
chloroethane (ca. 15% in tetrahydrofuran, ca. 2.0mol/l)
chloroethane 1000 microg/ml in methanol

Research Excerpts

Overview

Ethyl chloride (EC) spray is a vapocoolant which is used in interventional procedures as a topical local anesthetic. Ethyl chloride is an easy, effective, concrete approach to reducing procedural pain in pediatric oncology patients.

ExcerptReferenceRelevance
"Ethyl chloride (EC) spray is a vapocoolant which is used in interventional procedures as a topical local anesthetic. "( Does the Use of Ethyl Chloride Spray Facilitate Radial Angiography?
Demir, ÖF; Kat, N; Koca, F; Levent, F; Tenekecioglu, E, 2024
)
3.23
"Ethyl chloride (EC) is a fast-acting vapo-coolant spray that provides rapid, transient, local analgesia for minor invasive procedures. "( Ocular surface frostbite secondary to ethyl chloride spray.
Ascaso, FJ; Rodriguez, NA, 2012
)
2.09
"Ethyl chloride is an easy, effective, concrete approach to reducing procedural pain in pediatric oncology patients."( Use of ethyl chloride topical anesthetic to reduce procedural pain in pediatric oncology patients.
Nabors, SB; Zappa, SC, 1992
)
1.46

Effects

Ethyl chloride spray has analgesic efficacy in arterial blood gas sampling.

ExcerptReferenceRelevance
"Ethyl chloride spray has analgesic efficacy in arterial blood gas sampling. "( Ethyl chloride spray, a local anesthetic in arterial blood gas sampling: A randomized, controlled, double-blinded study.
Cakmak, F; Gur, A, 2022
)
3.61
"Ethyl chloride has been used since about 1882."( [The history of local anesthesia (author's transl)].
Stahnke, J, 1980
)
0.98

Treatment

ExcerptReferenceRelevance
"Mice treated with ethyl chloride spray, isoflurane and buprenorphine, and 2-point local nerve blocks demonstrated increased tail-flick latency compared with that of untreated mice."( Evaluation of common anesthetic and analgesic techniques for tail biopsy in mice.
Carver, S; Jones, CP; Kendall, LV, 2012
)
0.7

Toxicity

ExcerptReferenceRelevance
" There was no apparent progression of organ damage during the 13-week subchronic study, nor appearance of adverse effects not seen in the short-term exposures."( Acute, subacute, and subchronic oral toxicity studies of 1,1-dichloroethane in rats: application to risk evaluation.
Acosta, D; Bruckner, JV; Lash, LH; Mehta, SM; Muralidhara, S; Ramanathan, R, 2001
)
0.31
" An objective causality assessment using the Naranjo probability scale revealed a probable adverse drug event."( Acute inhalant-induced neurotoxicity with delayed recovery.
Finch, CK; Lobo, BL, 2005
)
0.33
"The p, p'-DDT isomer is several times as toxic as the o,p'-DDT isomer to both goldfish and mosquito larvae."( Comparative Toxicity of DDT Isomers and Related Compounds to Mosquito Larvae and Fish.
Ginsburg, JM, 1947
)
0.23
" Due to the lack of appreciable benefits and the presence of notable adverse effects, using vapocoolants or Cetacaine for this tail biopsy procedure in laboratory mice is unadvisable and we encourage the removal of these agents from institutional tail biopsy guidelines."( Adverse effects of vapocoolant and topical anesthesia for tail biopsy of preweanling mice.
Braden, GC; Brice, AK; Hankenson, FC, 2015
)
0.42

Pharmacokinetics

ExcerptReferenceRelevance
" The common method involves: (i) collecting pharmacokinetic data or determining pharmacokinetic parameters (e."( Quantitative structure-pharmacokinetic relationship modelling.
Béliveau, M; Fouchécourt, MO; Krishnan, K, 2001
)
0.31
" A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for chloroethane disposition in the rat was developed previously, but no such models have been described for mice or humans."( Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling of chloroethane disposition in mice, rats, and women.
Bus, JS; Gargas, ML; Himmelstein, MW; Holder, JW; Pottenger, LH; Sweeney, LM, 2008
)
0.35

Dosage Studied

ExcerptRelevanceReference
" Generally, the brain tumor responses were considered equivocal, because the characteristics of potential neurocarcinogenic agents (such as statistically significant increased incidences, decreased latency and/or survival, and demonstration of dose-response relationships) were not observed."( Examination of low-incidence brain tumor responses in F344 rats following chemical exposures in National Toxicology Program carcinogenicity studies.
Boorman, GA; Hailey, JR; Haseman, JK; Melnick, RL; Neal, J; Sills, RC,
)
0.13
" There were decreases in body weight gain and relative liver weight at all dosage levels, as well as increased renal nonprotein sulfhydryl levels at 2 and 4 g/kg after 5 and 10 days."( Acute, subacute, and subchronic oral toxicity studies of 1,1-dichloroethane in rats: application to risk evaluation.
Acosta, D; Bruckner, JV; Lash, LH; Mehta, SM; Muralidhara, S; Ramanathan, R, 2001
)
0.31
[information is derived through text-mining from research data collected from National Library of Medicine (NLM), extracted Dec-2023]

Roles (3)

RoleDescription
inhalation anaestheticnull
local anaestheticAny member of a group of drugs that reversibly inhibit the propagation of signals along nerves. Wide variations in potency, stability, toxicity, water-solubility and duration of action determine the route used for administration, e.g. topical, intravenous, epidural or spinal block.
antipruritic drugA drug, usually applied topically, that relieves pruritus (itching).
[role information is derived from Chemical Entities of Biological Interest (ChEBI), Hastings J, Owen G, Dekker A, Ennis M, Kale N, Muthukrishnan V, Turner S, Swainston N, Mendes P, Steinbeck C. (2016). ChEBI in 2016: Improved services and an expanding collection of metabolites. Nucleic Acids Res]

Drug Classes (1)

ClassDescription
chloroethanesA chloroalkane that is ethane in which one or more of the hydrogens is replaced by chlorine.
[compound class information is derived from Chemical Entities of Biological Interest (ChEBI), Hastings J, Owen G, Dekker A, Ennis M, Kale N, Muthukrishnan V, Turner S, Swainston N, Mendes P, Steinbeck C. (2016). ChEBI in 2016: Improved services and an expanding collection of metabolites. Nucleic Acids Res]

Bioassays (4)

Assay IDTitleYearJournalArticle
AID212400Toxicity determined using Tadpole Narcosis Test1991Journal of medicinal chemistry, May, Volume: 34, Issue:5
Using theoretical descriptors in quantitative structure-activity relationships: some toxicological indices.
AID603957Octanol-water partition coefficient, log P of the compound2008European journal of medicinal chemistry, Apr, Volume: 43, Issue:4
QSPR modeling of octanol/water partition coefficient for vitamins by optimal descriptors calculated with SMILES.
AID23443Partition coefficient (logP)1985Journal of medicinal chemistry, Mar, Volume: 28, Issue:3
Use of physicochemical parameters in distance geometry and related three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships: a demonstration using Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors.
AID433903Hepatotoxicity in mouse assessed as carcinogenic potency2009European journal of medicinal chemistry, Sep, Volume: 44, Issue:9
Development of QSAR models for predicting hepatocarcinogenic toxicity of chemicals.
[information is prepared from bioassay data collected from National Library of Medicine (NLM), extracted Dec-2023]

Research

Studies (769)

TimeframeStudies, This Drug (%)All Drugs %
pre-1990590 (76.72)18.7374
1990's58 (7.54)18.2507
2000's52 (6.76)29.6817
2010's52 (6.76)24.3611
2020's17 (2.21)2.80
[information is prepared from research data collected from National Library of Medicine (NLM), extracted Dec-2023]

Market Indicators

Research Demand Index: 59.84

According to the monthly volume, diversity, and competition of internet searches for this compound, as well the volume and growth of publications, there is estimated to be very strong demand-to-supply ratio for research on this compound.

MetricThis Compound (vs All)
Research Demand Index59.84 (24.57)
Research Supply Index6.78 (2.92)
Research Growth Index4.40 (4.65)
Search Engine Demand Index138.23 (26.88)
Search Engine Supply Index2.67 (0.95)

This Compound (59.84)

All Compounds (24.57)

Study Types

Publication TypeThis drug (%)All Drugs (%)
Trials38 (4.52%)5.53%
Reviews19 (2.26%)6.00%
Case Studies50 (5.95%)4.05%
Observational0 (0.00%)0.25%
Other734 (87.28%)84.16%
[information is prepared from research data collected from National Library of Medicine (NLM), extracted Dec-2023]

Clinical Trials (19)

Trial Overview

TrialPhaseEnrollmentStudy TypeStart DateStatus
Study to Determine the Safety of Gebauer's Ethyl Chloride and Gebauer's Pain Ease Sprays When Used Following ChloraPrep for Invasive Procedures [NCT04207710]Phase 472 participants (Actual)Interventional2021-01-26Completed
Ethyl Chloride-Endo Ice Versus 5% Lidocaine for Topical Anesthesia of Oral Mucosa - a Randomized Clinical Trial [NCT05306470]90 participants (Actual)Interventional2022-03-01Completed
Comparison of the Effects of Vapocoolant Spray and Topical Anesthetic Cream on Pain During Intra-articular Injection of Shoulder [NCT03484832]Phase 463 participants (Anticipated)Interventional2018-03-14Recruiting
Comparison of Distraction Methods for Pain Relief of Trigger Finger Injection [NCT03445780]Phase 10 participants (Actual)Interventional2019-06-30Withdrawn(stopped due to No patients were enrolled; Senior author (Dr. Melamed) departed institution)
Effects of Spray and Stretch Technique Versus Sustain Pressure for the Management of Upper Trapezius Triggers [NCT04559906]54 participants (Actual)Interventional2020-09-30Completed
Study Looking at Acceptability of Using Ethyl Chloride Spray Versus Subcutaneous Lidocaine Anaesthetic Prior to Contraceptive Implant Insertion [NCT02651207]0 participants (Actual)Observational2016-11-30Withdrawn(stopped due to decided not to do study. This will be run as a service evaluation instead)
the Effect of Ethyl Chloride Spray on Propofol Injection Pain [NCT02770690]Phase 490 participants (Actual)Interventional2016-04-30Completed
Evaluating the Efficacy of Ethyl Chloride on Patients' Reported Pain With Negative Pressure Wound Therapy [NCT04635696]Phase 4100 participants (Actual)Interventional2019-01-07Completed
The Evaluation of External Thermomechanical Stimulation for Pain Reduction in Patients Undergoing Nail Injection [NCT04422795]Phase 40 participants (Actual)Interventional2024-02-29Withdrawn(stopped due to Due to reallocation of resources, this study could not be initiated)
Comparison of the Effects of Vapocoolant Spray and Topical Anesthetic Cream on Pain During Needle Electromyography: a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial [NCT01606046]Phase 499 participants (Actual)Interventional2011-07-31Completed
Comparison of Effectiveness of Pre-cooling With Ethyl Chloride Versus Honey in Alleviating Intra-oral Injection Pain in Adult Patients [NCT05568563]90 participants (Actual)Interventional2022-08-01Completed
Investigation of the Effectiveness of Vibratory Stimulus in Trigger Finger Injections [NCT05405452]Phase 41,000 participants (Anticipated)Interventional2023-08-14Recruiting
A Randomized Trial to Determine if Local Anesthesia Decreases Pain Perception in Women Undergoing Chorionic Villus Sampling [NCT03140293]Early Phase 1120 participants (Actual)Interventional2016-09-30Completed
In Children, Does the Use of Synera Patch for Local Analgesia Before Vascular Access Reduce Pain Associated With Propofol Injection for Anesthesia Induction? [NCT01576770]Phase 480 participants (Anticipated)Interventional2012-04-30Recruiting
The Efficacy of Local Anesthetics to Reduce Shoulder Pain Post-Steroid Injections [NCT02592629]Phase 419 participants (Actual)Interventional2016-02-01Terminated(stopped due to Lack of time to enroll due to additional responsibilities of the PI and research coordinator.)
Will Patients Perceive a Vapocoolant Spray to be Effective in Reducing Pain and Increasing Satisfaction With Insertion at an Intravenous Site? [NCT03054740]Phase 430 participants (Actual)Interventional2017-02-27Completed
Ethyl Chloride Vapocoolant as Anesthesia for Arterial Punctures: A Randomized Clinical Trial [NCT02587143]126 participants (Actual)Interventional2016-02-29Completed
Efficacy of Ethyl Chloride Topical Anesthesia Application on the Pain Perception During Intra-oral Injections in Children in Comparison to Benzocaine Gel- a Single-blinded Randomized Controlled Trial. [NCT06011005]42 participants (Anticipated)Interventional2023-09-01Recruiting
The Use of a Topical Anesthetic Skin Refrigerant to Reduce the Pain Associated With Intravenous Catheter Insertion, A Double Blinded, Patient/Placebo Controlled, Study [NCT02499965]38 participants (Actual)Interventional2015-04-30Completed
[information is prepared from clinicaltrials.gov, extracted Sep-2024]

Trial Outcomes

TrialOutcome
NCT02587143 (1) [back to overview]Pain Level on the Visual Analog Scale (NRS-11)
NCT02592629 (1) [back to overview]Change in Pain Assessment
NCT03054740 (2) [back to overview]Pain Scale Using Visual Analog Scale
NCT03054740 (2) [back to overview]Using the Same Visual Analog Scale Rate Pain the Last Time the Patient Remembers Having an IV Inserted

Pain Level on the Visual Analog Scale (NRS-11)

patients will measure their pain score on a visual analog scale (NRS-11: Numeric Rate Score, from 0 -no pain- to 10 points -the worst pain ever-) after the puncture (NCT02587143)
Timeframe: scores on a scale immediately after the puncture

Interventionscores on scale (Median)
Control2
Ethyl Chloride2

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Change in Pain Assessment

Pain assessed on a visual analog scale from 1 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable). Pain score at 10 minutes post-injection is subtracted from baseline pre-injection score. Positive numbers to represent increases and negative numbers to represent decreases. (NCT02592629)
Timeframe: change from baseline assessment before injection at 10 minutes post injection

Interventionunits on a scale (Mean)
no Topical or Subcutaneous Anesthetic3
Subcutaneous Lidocaine4.21
Topical Ethyl Chloride5.6

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Pain Scale Using Visual Analog Scale

0-No Pain; 1-3 Mild Pain; 4-6 Moderate-Severe Pain; 7-9 Very Severe Pain;10 Worst Possible Pain (NCT03054740)
Timeframe: less than 5 minutes following spray application

Interventionscore on a scale (Mean)
Gebauer Ethyl Chloride1.13
Nature's Tears1.60

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Using the Same Visual Analog Scale Rate Pain the Last Time the Patient Remembers Having an IV Inserted

Visual Analog Scale 0 no pain, 1-2 mild, 3-5 moderate, 6 severe, 7-8 very severe, 9-10 worst possible pain (NCT03054740)
Timeframe: At baseline prior to spray application

Interventionscore on a scale (Mean)
Gebauer Ethyl Chloride3.40
Nature's Tears2.87

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