Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 2, 2026
11:19
Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation
Published on: January 17, 2011
18.3K
Propofol use in children: updates and controversies
Carine Zeeni1, Cynthia J Karam1, Roland N Kaddoum1
1Department of Anesthesiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Minerva Anestesiologica
|December 11, 2019
Summary
Propofol offers benefits in pediatric anesthesia, including fewer airway issues and behavioral changes. However, challenges like needle phobia and complex setups may limit its use, especially in total intravenous anesthesia for children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Propofol offers advantages in pediatric anesthesia, such as reduced airway complications, emergence agitation, and postoperative behavioral changes.
- However, its widespread use in total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) for children is limited by factors like needle phobia, complex TIVA setup, and unvalidated pediatric infusion models and monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the role and challenges of propofol in pediatric anesthesia.
- To discuss the factors influencing anesthesia choice in children.
- To explore the potential for combined propofol and inhalation anesthesia.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on propofol use in pediatric anesthesia.
- Discussion of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations.
- Analysis of clinical decision-making factors in pediatric anesthesia.
Main Results:
- Propofol demonstrates benefits in pediatric anesthesia, including improved safety and reduced behavioral disturbances.
- Barriers to propofol use include patient-related (needle phobia) and technical (TIVA setup, monitoring) challenges.
- Anesthesia selection is multifactorial, involving patient, provider, and logistical elements.
Conclusions:
- Propofol is a valuable option in pediatric anesthesia, despite existing limitations.
- Combined propofol and inhalation anesthesia may offer optimal solutions for complex pediatric cases.
- Further validation of pediatric infusion models and monitoring is needed for broader propofol adoption.
More Related Videos
06:38Use of a Piglet Model for the Study of Anesthetic-induced Developmental Neurotoxicity AIDN: A Translational Neuroscience Approach
Published on: June 11, 2017
11.6K
08:58Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs
Published on: October 31, 2025
468
Related Concept Videos
01:24Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
525
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.
525
01:29Drug Dosing: Infants and Children
215
Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
215
01:23Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
200
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...
200
01:24Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
155
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...
155
01:17Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution
214
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,...
214
01:20Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview
916
Inhalation anesthetics are drugs that induce general anesthesia upon inhalation. They work by increasing the sensitivity of GABAA receptors or inhibiting NMDA receptors, leading to a decrease in central nervous system activity. The depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted by changing the concentration of the inhaled gas. Some common examples of inhalational anesthetics include volatile liquids like isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane and gases like xenon and nitrous oxide. Isoflurane, a...
916