Inhibition of bacterial growth by different mixtures of propofol and thiopentone

Propofol is, as a result of its formulation, an ideal bacterial and yeast culture medium. An outbreak of sepsis in humans and an increase in wound infections in dogs has been ascribed to the use of propofol. It has been previously reported that a 1:1 mixture of propofol and thiopentone has bactericidal properties. This study was undertaken to determine if further serial mixtures of propofol and thiopentone maintained the bactericidal properties. Mixtures of 1:1 (solution A), 5:1 (solution B), 10:1 (solution C), 50:1 (solution D) and 100:1 (solution E) of 1% propofol to 2.5 % thiopentone, 2.5% thiopentone (solution T), 1% propofol (solution P) and saline (solution S) were prepared and inoculated with between 10(5) and 10(6) colony-forming units of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. A sample was withdrawn from each solution at 0, 1, 6, 12, 48 and 120 hours after inoculation and a bacterial count was performed. This study showed that thiopentone and solution A behaved in similar fashion by inhibiting bacterial growth and was bactericidal after 48 hours. Solution B was not bactericidal against S. aureus and C. albicans. Propofol and solutions D and E all supported growth of all the organisms tested. These data indicate that mixtures of propofol and thiopentone at a ratio less than 1:1 do not maintain the bactericidal properties.