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Propofol-Fentanyl versus propofol-ketamine sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopy: A systematic review and

Elliott N Rees¹, Lucy Ms Hoade², Luke Mattey³

¹Department of Intensive Care, Morriston Hospital, Swansea, UK.

Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia

|July 11, 2025

Abstract

Background:

The optimal procedural sedation and analgesic regime for gastrointestinal endoscopy is uncertain. Ketamine and fentanyl are commonly used analgesic agents alongside propofol but both have significant side effect profiles.

Objectives:

This systematic review and meta-analysis compares the efficacy and safety of propofol-ketamine (PK) to propofol-fentanyl (PF) sedation for patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Methods:

Medline, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched to identify all comparative studies comparing PF to PK sedation. Nine randomized control trials (RCTs) met inclusion criteria. The primary outcomes were procedure time and recovery time. Secondary outcomes included adverse effects. All outcome data analyses were conducted using random-effects modeling.

Findings:

Nine RCTs with a total of 1006 patients were analyzed (508 (50.5%) PF, 498 PK). Sedation-analgesia regimes with PF were associated with both shorter procedure times (mean difference (MD) = -1.670 minutes (95% CI, -2.890, -0.450); P < 0.01) and recovery times (MD = -1.215 minutes (95% CI,-2.131, -0.300)) compared with PK. In the PF group, there was a higher incidence of desaturation (PF: 18.03% vs PK: 7.84%, OR = 3.163 (95% CI, 1.552, 6.444); P < 0.01) and hypotension (PF: 17.20% vs PK: 8.33%, OR = 2.501 (95% CI, 1.296, 4.824); P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

There is moderate certainty evidence that PF reduces procedure time and low certainty that it improves recovery time compared to PK for gastrointestinal endoscopy. The risk of potentially life-threatening hypotension and desaturation was significantly greater in the PF group.

Keywords:

Analgesia endoscopy sedation

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