[A clinical study of total intravenous anesthesia by using mainly propofol, fentanyl and ketamine--with special...

During a period of five years from January 1996 through December 2000 total intravenous anesthesia with mainly propofol, fentanyl and ketamine was administered to 26,079 patients including cardiac and neurosurgical patients at the University of Hirosaki Hospital and five other affiliated hospitals. The patients studied ranged from 1 year 8 months to 93 years in age, 9.2 kg to 135.0 kg in body weight and from 18 min to 22 hours 50 min in anesthetic time. With adequate monitoring, fentanyl 1-2 micrograms.kg-1 was given at first, then total-dose of ketamine 1 mg.kg-1 and propofol 1-2 mg.kg-1 were administered for the induction of anesthesia in adult patients. A total dose of fentanyl 3-15 micrograms.kg-1 was given combined with propofol 5-10 mg.kg-1 and ketamine 0.3-1.0 mg.kg.h-1. In craniotomy patients, ketamine was excluded. For pediatric patients, sevoflurane anesthesia was employed to establish i.v. route, and intravenous agents were given almost same as in the same manner as in adult patients. None of them developed either cardiac arrest or severe cardiovascular insufficiencies due to anesthesia alone. Their postoperative hepatic and renal functions evaluated by various biochemical indices and urine output were adequately maintained during anesthesia and for a week postoperatively. They were followed up to 3 months postoperatively only to fail to detect any adverse events related directly to this method of anesthesia. These data suggest that total intravenous anesthesia with propofol, fentanyl and ketamine has a very wide margin of safety.