The haemodynamic effects of propofol in combination with ephedrine in elderly patients (ASA groups 3 and 4)

The marked vasodilator and negative inotropic effects of propofol are disadvantages in frail elderly patients. We investigated the safety and efficacy of adding different doses of ephedrine to propofol in order to obtund the hypotensive response. The haemodynamic effects of adding 15, 20 or 25 mg of ephedrine to 200 mg of propofol were compared to control in 40 ASA 3/4 patients over 60 years presenting for genito-urinary surgery. The addition of ephedrine to propofol appears to be an effective method of obtunding the hypotensive response to propofol at all doses used in this study. However, marked tachycardia associated with the use of ephedrine in combination with propofol occurred in the majority of patients, occasionally reaching high levels in individual patients. Due to the risk of this tachycardia inducing myocardial ischemia, we would not recommend the use in elderly patients of any of the ephedrine/propofol/mixtures studied.