Summary
Propofol, marketed as Diprivan, among other names, also known as 2,6-Diisopropylphenol, is a short-acting medication that results in a decreased level of consciousness and a lack of memory for events. Its uses include the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia, sedation for mechanically ventilated adults, and procedural sedation. It is also used for status epilepticus if other medications have not worked. It is given by injection into a vein, and the maximum effect takes about two minutes to occur and typically lasts five to ten minutes. Propofol is also used for euthanasia in Canada. The medication appears to be safe for use during pregnancy but has not been well studied for use in this case. It is not recommended for use during a cesarean section. It is not a pain medication, so opioids such as morphine may also be used; however, whether or not they are always needed is not clear. Propofol is believed to work at least partly via a receptor for GABA. Propofol was first synthesized in 1977 and approved for use in the United States in 1989. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. It is available as a generic medication. It has been referred to as milk of amnesia (a play on "milk of magnesia"), because of the milk-like appearance of the intravenous preparation, and because of its tendency to suppress memory recall. Propofol is also used in veterinary medicine for anesthesia. To induce general anesthesia, propofol is the drug used almost exclusively, having largely replaced sodium thiopental. It can also be administered as part of an anesthesia maintenance technique called total intravenous anesthesia, using either manually programmed infusion pumps or computer-controlled infusion pumps in a process called target controlled infusion (TCI). Propofol is also used to sedate individuals who are receiving mechanical ventilation but not undergoing surgery, such as patients in the intensive care unit. In critically ill patients, propofol is superior to lorazepam both in effectiveness and overall cost.
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