Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026
04:48
Noninvasive Determination of Vortex Formation Time Using Transesophageal Echocardiography During Cardiac Surgery
Published on: November 28, 2018
8.5K
Pulse transit time shows vascular changes caused by propofol in children
Joo-Eun Kang1, In-Kyung Song, Ji-Hyun Lee
1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing
|March 10, 2015
Summary
Pulse transit time (PTT) monitoring reveals propofol
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Anesthesiology
- Pediatric Medicine
Background:
- Pulse transit time (PTT) is a noninvasive method to assess vascular changes.
- Propofol is commonly used for anesthesia induction in pediatric patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the vascular effects of propofol during anesthesia induction in pediatric patients using PTT.
- To compare PTT changes in children with known adult responses to propofol.
Main Methods:
- Twenty pediatric patients (3-7 years) received 2 mg/kg propofol intravenously.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmograph (PPG) were monitored to calculate PTT.
- PTT was measured at baseline and during the 2 minutes following propofol administration.
Main Results:
- Mean baseline PTT in children was 166.2 ± 25.9 ms.
- PTT significantly increased after propofol administration, peaking at 315.9 ± 64.9 ms around 17.3 seconds post-injection.
- PTT showed rapid, varied recovery towards baseline, with most patients not exhibiting a plateau.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric baseline PTT is shorter than in adults.
- Propofol induces rapid vasodilation in children, with faster recovery compared to adults.
- Pediatric vascular response to propofol is more variable than in adults.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
863
Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
863
01:24Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
968
Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
968
01:24Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
362
In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses...
362
01:17Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution
507
Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight,...
507
01:15Factors Affecting Drug Distribution: Organ Perfusion Rate
805
Drug distribution within the body is a complex process influenced by several factors, including perfusion rate, the rate at which the bloodstream transports drugs to tissue. This limitation becomes particularly significant when dealing with highly lipophilic drugs. In such cases, the rate at which the drug can move across membranes is crucial, and if the membrane is highly permeable to the drug, distribution becomes rate-limited by perfusion.
Perfusion rate-limited distribution relies on the...
Perfusion rate-limited distribution relies on the...
805
01:26Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion
391
In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
391