Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Propofol in terminal care

S Mercadante1, F De Conno, C Ripamonti

  • 1Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Buccheri La Ferla Fatebenefratelli Hospital, SAMOT, Palermo, Italy.

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
|November 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A prospective study with Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) before curative treatment in older patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC).

Oral oncology·2026
Same author

Breakthrough pain in patients with multiple myeloma: a secondary analysis of IOPS MS study.

European review for medical and pharmacological sciences·2023
Same author

Lateral gain is impaired in macular degeneration and can be targeted to restore vision in mice.

Nature communications·2022
Same author

Co-infections among COVID-19 adult patients admitted to intensive care units: results from a retrospective study.

Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita·2022
Same author

Too much for some and too little for others.

Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology·2021
Same author

Comment on: Prevalence of micro and macro vascular complications and their risk factors in type 2 diabetes in Saudi Arabian population: an analysis from SHIS.

European review for medical and pharmacological sciences·2021
Same journal

Bereaved Parents and Spouses as Educators in Pediatric Simulation: Ethical Reflections.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
Same journal

The Unplugged Patient: A Case Report on Bridging the Digital Divide in Palliative Care.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
Same journal

Barriers perceived by palliative care fellowships in training physicians from diverse specialties.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
Same journal

Health Equity: Foundation of Serious Illness Care.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
Same journal

Coping with Breathlessness in Individuals with Lung Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
Same journal

Growing the Next Generation of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Researchers.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
See all related articles

In advanced cancer patients, low-dose propofol effectively managed delirium and agitation near death. This approach offered peaceful symptom control without opioids, showing propofol

Area of Science:

  • Palliative Care
  • Neuropharmacology

Background:

  • Advanced cancer patients often experience delirium, multifocal myoclonus, and restlessness due to multi-organ failure and metabolic changes.
  • Pharmacologic interventions are frequently required to manage these distressing neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Observation:

  • A case study involving an advanced cancer patient near death presented with severe agitation and delirium.
  • The patient exhibited symptoms typically managed with benzodiazepines, neuroleptics, or barbiturates.

Findings:

  • Low-dose propofol, initiated with a 20 mg loading dose followed by a 50-70 mg/hr infusion, effectively controlled the patient's neuropsychiatric symptoms.
  • The patient experienced a peaceful death after 8 hours of propofol infusion, without the need for opioid analgesics.

Related Experiment Videos

Implications:

  • Propofol demonstrates potential as a therapeutic agent for managing the agitated state in the dying process.
  • This finding suggests a novel pharmacologic option for palliative care in terminal illness.