Pain on injection from propofol may be avoided by changing its formulation.

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Pharmacology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Pain on injection with propofol was a common issue for patients and medical staff.
• A new propofol formulation was observed to reduce patient complaints of injection pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare pain experienced during injection of two different propofol formulations.
• To evaluate the efficacy of lidocaine and saline in mitigating propofol injection pain.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, randomized study involving 22 adult patients undergoing pain relief procedures.
• Propofol from Baxter and Laboratorios Gray, mixed with lidocaine or saline, was administered intravenously.
• Pain was assessed via verbal complaint, movement, and recollection of pain.

Main Results:

• Propofol from Laboratorios Gray with saline resulted in only 2.2% of patients experiencing pain.
• Mixing propofol with lidocaine reduced pain for the Baxter formulation (50.2%) but not completely.
• The Laboratorios Gray propofol formulation, especially with lidocaine, effectively prevented pain on injection.

Conclusions:

• Formulation differences, specifically molecule size and dispersion, are key to avoiding propofol injection pain.
• Switching to a different propofol formulation can eliminate pain associated with intravenous administration.