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Published on: June 20, 2020
Effects of propofol on the cardiac conduction system
Paulo Warpechowski1, Ari Tadeu Lírio dos Santos, Paulo José Irigon Pereira
1Instituto de Cardiologia de Porto Alegre. paulowarpe@gmail.com
Background And Objectives:
Some studies have demonstrated that the use of propofol is occasionally associated with bradyarrhythmias or reversion of arrhythmias to sinus rhythm. This property of propofol suggests interference with the Cardiac Conduction System (CCS).
Contents:
A review of the main contemporary articles on the use of propofol in the presence of cardiac arrhythmias was undertaken. The authors describe pathophysiological mechanisms of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias (SVT) and occasional interferences caused by propofol on the CCS.
Conclusions:
The studies undertaken so far seem to indicate that propofol probably interferes in automatic SVT (at least in children), but not in reentrant tachyarrhythmias.
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