USE OF AN EMULSION OF ICI 35868 (PROPOFOL) FOR THE INDUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF ANAESTHESIA

2,6-Diisopropyl phenol in a fat emulsion formulation (propofol)has been used to supplement 67% nitrous oxide in oxygen anaesthesiain 20 patients premedicated with morphine 0.15 mg kg^-1and atropine0.6 mg, and undergoing body surface surgery. Following an inductiondose of propofol 2.5 mg kg^-1, the mean maintenance dose was73.4µg kg^-1min^-1. When compared with 10 patients receivingAlthesin to supplement nitrous oxide in oxygen in a similarmanner, recovery was considerably faster following propofol.The only major side-effect associated with the use of propofolwas pain on injection in nine out of 20 patients. When the patientsreceiving propofol were compared with a second control group(n = 11) in whom anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone 4mg kg^-1and maintained with 1 % halothane and nitrous oxide inoxygen, the former group showed a significant (P<0.01) decreasein the plasma cortisol concentration 30 min after the inductionof anaesthesia. However, by 3 h after induction, the cortisolconcentration in both groups was not significantly differentfrom the baseline (pre-induction) value. The mechanism of thisdecrease is not known. In vestigation of the influence of thefat emulsion on blood coagulation andfibrinolysis revealed nodifferences when compared with patients receiving Althesin.