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Book

Propofol Toxicity

Tara Secor  1 , Anthony O. Safadi, Seth Gunderson
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
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Affiliations
Book

Propofol Toxicity

Tara Secor et al.

Excerpt

Propofol is a drug commonly used for sedation and the implementation of general anesthesia. It is a phenol derivative given as an intravenous drug. The most common formulation is in a lipophilic emulsion, allowing rapid distribution into the tissues, including across the blood-brain barrier. It is commonly used for sedation in the ICU because it has a short duration of action and rapid clearance. It has dose-dependent effects, leading to higher blood pressure and heart rate changes at higher doses. The initial administration can cause pain at the injection site. Though propofol has a generally favorable profile as a sedative, administering toxic doses can harm a patient’s overall condition. Propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS) is the manifestation of propofol toxicity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Tara Secor declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Anthony Safadi declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Seth Gunderson declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

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