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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) with Target Controlled Infusion (TCI) and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) with Target Controlled Infusion (TCI) and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Published on: December 6, 2016

High-dose propofol drip for palliative sedation: a case report.

Christopher M Herndon¹, Ethan Zimmerman

¹Department of Pharmacy Practice, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy, Edwardsville, IL 62026, USA. cherndo@siue.edu

The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care

|June 14, 2008

Summary

For end-of-life agitation refractory to standard treatments, propofol offers an alternative. This study shows successful palliation of terminal restlessness using propofol when benzodiazepines and antipsychotics failed.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) with Target Controlled Infusion (TCI) and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) with Target Controlled Infusion (TCI) and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Published on: December 6, 2016

Area of Science:

Palliative Care
Pharmacology
Symptom Management

Background:

End-of-life care often involves managing symptoms like agitation and terminal restlessness.
Benzodiazepines and typical antipsychotics are common first-line treatments.
Alternative pharmacotherapy is needed when conventional options are contraindicated or ineffective.

Observation:

A hospice patient with a history of polysubstance abuse presented with refractory agitation and terminal restlessness.
Opioid and midazolam doses escalated rapidly without symptom control.
Propofol was initiated as an alternative pharmacotherapy.

Findings:

Propofol was successfully titrated to manage the patient's refractory agitation and terminal restlessness.
This demonstrates propofol's potential as an alternative in challenging hospice cases.
The sedative-hypnotic agent provided effective palliation where other drugs failed.

Implications:

Propofol may be a valuable option for palliative care in refractory agitation and terminal restlessness.
This case highlights the need for flexible pharmacotherapeutic approaches in end-of-life symptom management.
Further research into propofol's role in palliative sedation is warranted.