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Propofol should be given by those trained in anaesthesia (or, where appropriate, doctors trained in the care of patients in Intensive Care).
Patients should be constantly monitored, and facilities for maintenance of a patent airway, artificial ventilation, oxygen enrichment and other resuscitative facilities should be readily available at all times. Propofol should not be administered by the person conducting the diagnostic or surgical procedure.
Abuse of and dependence on propofol, predominantly by health care professionals, have been reported. As with other general anaesthetics, the administration of propofol without airway care may result in fatal respiratory complications.
When propofol is administered for conscious sedation, for surgical and diagnostic procedures, patients should be continually monitored for early signs of hypotension, airway obstruction and oxygen desaturation.
As with other sedative agents, when propofol is used for sedation during operative procedures, involuntary patient movements may occur. During procedures requiring immobility, these movements may be hazardous to the operative site.
An adequate period is needed prior to discharge of the patient to ensure full recovery after use of propofol. Very rarely, the use of propofol may be associated with the development of a period of post-operative unconsciousness, which may be accompanied by an increase in muscle tone. This may or may not be preceded by a period of wakefulness. Although recovery is spontaneous, appropriate care of an unconscious patient should be administered.
Propofol-induced impairment is not generally detectable beyond 12 hours. The effects of propofol, the procedure, concomitant medications, the age and the condition of the patient should be considered when advising patients on: The advisability of being accompanied on leaving the place of administration; The timing of recommencement of skilled or hazardous tasks such as driving; The use of other agents that may sedate (e.g. benzodiazepines, opiates, alcohol).
Delayed epileptiform attacks may occur even in non-epileptic patients; the delay period ranging from a few hours to several days.
Special patient groups: Cardiac, circulatory or pulmonary insufficiency and hypovolaemia: As with other intravenous anaesthetic agents, caution should be applied in patients with cardiac, respiratory, renal or hepatic impairment or in hypovolaemic or debilitated patients.
Propofol clearance is blood flow dependent, therefore, concomitant medication which reduces cardiac output will also reduce propofol clearance.
Cardiac, circulatory or pulmonary insufficiency and hypovolaemia should be compensated before administration of propofol.
Propofol should not be administered in patients with advanced cardiac failure or other severe myocardial disease except with extreme caution and intensive monitoring.
Due to a higher dosage in patients with severe overweight, the risk of haemodynamic effects on the cardiovascular system should be taken into consideration.
Propofol lacks vagolytic activity and has been associated with reports of bradycardia (occasionally profound) and also asystole. The intravenous administration of an anticholinergic agent before induction or during maintenance of anaesthesia should be considered, especially in situations where vagal tone is likely to predominate or when propofol is used in conjunction with other agents likely to cause a bradycardia.
Epilepsy: When propofol is administered to an epileptic patient, there may be a risk of convulsion.
In epileptic patients, delayed epileptiform attacks may occur; the delay period ranging from a few hours to several days.
Before anaesthesia of an epileptic patient, it should be checked that the patient has received the antiepileptic treatment. Although several studies have demonstrated efficacy in treating status epilepticus, administration of propofol in epileptic patients may also increase the risk of seizure.
Use of propofol is not recommended with electroconvulsive therapy.
Patients with disorders of fat metabolism: Appropriate care should be applied in patients with disorders of fat metabolism and in other conditions where lipid emulsions must be used cautiously.
Patients with a high intracranial pressure: Special care should be recognised in patients with a high intracranial pressure and a low mean arterial pressure as there is a risk of a significant decrease of the intracerebral perfusion pressure.
Advisory statements concerning Intensive Care Unit management: Use of propofol emulsion infusions for ICU sedation has been associated with a constellation of metabolic derangements and organ system failures that may result in death. Reports have been received of combinations of the following: Metabolic acidosis, Rhabdomyolysis, Hyperkalaemia, Hepatomegaly, Renal failure, Hyperlipidaemia, Cardiac arrhythmia, Brugada-type ECG (elevated ST-segment and coved T-wave) and rapidly progressive Cardiac failure usually unresponsive to inotropic supportive treatment. Combinations of these events have been referred to as the Propofol infusion syndrome. These events were mostly seen in patients with serious head injuries and children with respiratory tract infections who received dosages in excess of those advised in adults for sedation in the intensive care unit.
The following appear to be the major risk factors for the development of these events: decreased oxygen delivery to tissues; serious neurological injury and/or sepsis; high dosages of one or more of the following pharmacological agents - vasoconstrictors, steroids, inotropes and/or propofol (usually at dose rates greater than 4 mg/kg/h for more than 48 hours).
Prescribers should be alert to these events in patients with the previously mentioned risk factors and immediately discontinue the propofol when the previously mentioned signs develop. All sedative and therapeutic agents used in the intensive care unit (ICU) should be titrated to maintain optimal oxygen delivery and haemodynamic parameters. Patients with raised intracranial pressure (ICP) should be given appropriate treatment to support the cerebral perfusion pressure during these treatment modifications.
Treating physicians are reminded if possible not to exceed the dosage of 4 mg/kg/h.
Appropriate care should be applied in patients with disorders of fat metabolism and in other conditions where lipid emulsions must be used cautiously.
It is recommended that blood lipid levels should be monitored if propofol is administered to patients thought to be at particular risk of fat overload. Administration of propofol should be adjusted appropriately if the monitoring indicates that fat is being inadequately cleared from the body. If the patient is receiving other intravenous lipid concurrently, a reduction in quantity should be made in order to take account of the amount of lipid infused as part of the propofol formulation; 1.0 mL of Fresofol 1% MCT/LCT contains approximately 0.1 g of fat.
Additional precautions: Caution should be taken when treating patients with mitochondrial disease. These patients may be susceptible to exacerbations of their disorder when undergoing anaesthesia, surgery and ICU care. Maintenance of normothermia, provision of carbohydrates and good hydration are recommended for such patients. The early presentations of mitochondrial disease exacerbation and of the 'propofol infusion syndrome' may be similar.
Fresofol 1% MCT/LCT contains no antimicrobial preservatives and supports growth of microorganisms.
When propofol is to be aspirated, it must be drawn aseptically into a sterile syringe and giving set immediately after opening the ampoule or breaking the vial seal. Administration must commence without delay. Asepsis must be maintained for both propofol and infusion equipment throughout the infusion period. Any infusion fluids added to the propofol line must be administered close to the cannula site. Propofol must not be administered via a microbiological filter.
Propofol and any syringe containing propofol are for single use in an individual patient. In accordance with established guidelines for other lipid emulsions, a single infusion of propofol must not exceed 12 hours. At the end of the procedure or at 12 hours, whichever is the sooner, both the reservoir of propofol and the infusion line must be discarded and replaced as appropriate.
Pain on the injection site: To reduce pain on the injection site during induction of anaesthesia with Fresofol 1% MCT/LCT, lidocaine can be injected prior to the propofol emulsion (see Dosage & Administration).
Intravenous lidocaine must not be used in patients with hereditary acute porphyria.
This medicinal product contains less than 1 mmol (23 mg) sodium per 100 ml, i.e. essentially "sodium-free".
Effects on ability to drive and use machines: Patients should be advised that performance at skilled tasks, such as driving and operating machinery, may be impaired for some time after use of propofol.
After administration of Fresofol 1% MCT/LCT, the patient should be kept under observation for an appropriate period of time. The patient should be instructed not to drive, operate machinery, or work in potentially hazardous situations. The patient should not be allowed to go home unaccompanied, and should be instructed to avoid consumption of alcohol.
Propofol-induced impairment is not generally detectable beyond 12 hours (see as previously mentioned).
Use in Children: The use of propofol is not recommended in newborn infants as this patient population has not been fully investigated. Pharmacokinetic data indicate that clearance is considerably reduced in neonates and has a very high interindividual variability. Relative overdose could occur on administering doses recommended for older children and result in severe cardiovascular depression.
Fresofol 1% MCT/LCT is not advised for general anaesthesia in children younger than 1 month of age.
Due to the limited data available, the use of target controlled infusion (TCI) in the paediatric population below 2 years of age cannot be recommended.
Propofol must not be used in patients of 16 years of age or younger for sedation for intensive care as the safety and efficacy of propofol for sedation in this age group have not been demonstrated (see Contraindications).
