The propofol infusion 'syndrome' in intensive care unit: from pathophysiology to prophylaxis and treatment

Propofol is a short-acting intravenous anesthetic agent widely used for sedation in anesthesia and intensive care. However, during the last 15 years there have been quite a lot of publications reporting unexplained deaths among pediatric and adult critically ill patients. These cases shared common symptoms and signs unrelated with initial admission diagnosis and were under long-term propofol infusion at high doses. A new syndrome called 'propofol infusion syndrome' was defined, including cardiovascular instability, metabolic acidosis, hyperkalaemia and rhabdomyolysis, with no evidence for other known causes of myocardial failure. One common denominator in these patients was the presence of hypoxia and tissue hypoperfusion. It seems that during states of increased metabolic demand, the reduced energy production related to an inhibitory propofol action at the level of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and lipid metabolism may lead to the manifestation of the syndrome. Furthermore, cases of early toxicity due to failure in cellular energy production with development of lactic acidosis have been also described during anesthesia. For the above reasons, recommendations for the limitation of propofol use have been devised by various institutions, whereas physicians need to be cautious when using prolonged propofol sedation and alert for early signs of toxicity.