Propofol for emergency department procedural sedation and analgesia: a tale of three centers.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize propofol procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) encounters for a large patient population at multiple emergency department (ED) sites. The authors sought to assess the frequency of respiratory and cardiovascular events during propofol PSA within these settings.


METHODS
This study was a prospective, descriptive series of a consecutive sample of ED patients receiving propofol for PSA at three study sites. Patients were monitored for PSA-related events, including predefined clinically relevant cardiovascular and respiratory events. Data collection was performed during PSA with a standardized data collection sheet unique to each site.


RESULTS
Propofol was administered during PSA to 792 patients during the respective reporting period at each center. Indications for sedation included dislocation reduction (38%), cardioversion (10%), fracture reduction (35%), abscess incision and drainage (8%), computed tomography imaging (2%), and tube thoracostomy (1%). The cumulative rate of oxygen desaturation events for all study sites was 7.7% with a brief period of assisted ventilation with bag-valve mask in 3.9%. The cumulative rate of PSA-related hypotensive events was 3.5%. Increasing patient age and specific clinical procedure were clinical variables most associated with any propofol-related respiratory event. All PSA-related events resolved with supportive interventions during the PSA encounter. No patients required endotracheal intubation, prolonged observation, or admission for PSA-related complications.


CONCLUSIONS
Propofol typically confers a deep sedation experience for ED PSA. The most common PSA events associated with propofol are respiratory related and appear consistent across these three practice settings. All propofol-related PSA events resolved with brief supportive interventions in the ED with no adverse sequelae.
Burton
John H
JH
Department of Emergency Medicine, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME, USA. burtoj@mmc.org
Miner
James R
JR
Shipley
Eric R
ER
Strout
Tania D
TD
Becker
Chris
C
Thode
Henry C
HC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000698:Analgesia / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007022:Hypotension / Q000139:chemically induced; D007223:Infant; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015742:Propofol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000139:chemically induced; D014481:United States; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy
D000932:Antiemetics; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D015742:Propofol