Relationship between bispectral index, auditory evoked potential index and effect-site EC50 for propofol at two...

Many anaesthetists are deterred from using total i.v. anaesthesia because of uncertainty over the concentration of propofol required to prevent awareness. We predicted blood and effect-site concentrations of propofol at two clinical end-points: loss of consciousness and no response to a painful stimulus.

Forty unpremedicated Caucasian patients were anaesthetized with i.v. propofol delivered by a Diprifusor target-controlled infusion (TCI). Bispectral index (BIS) and auditory evoked potential index (AEPex) were measured and blood and effect-site propofol concentrations were predicted. Logistic regression was used to estimate population values for predicted blood and effect-site propofol concentrations at the clinical end-points and to correlate these with BIS and AEPex.

The effect-site EC(50) at loss of consciousness was 2.8 micro m ml(-1) with an EC(05) and an EC(95) of 1.5 and 4.1 micro m ml(-1), respectively. The predicted EC(50) when there was no response to a tetanic stimulus was 5.2 micro m ml(-1) with an EC(05) and an EC(95) of 3.1 and 7.2 micro m ml(-1), respectively.

Unconsciousness and lack of response to a painful stimulus occur within a defined range of effect-site concentrations, predicted by Diprifusor TCI software.