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Propofol sedation and gastric emptying in volunteers
Author(s) -
Hammas B.,
Hvarfner A.,
Thörn S.E.,
Wattwil M.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-6576.1998.tb05088.x
Subject(s) - propofol , medicine , sedation , gastric emptying , anesthesia , saline , ingestion , stomach , gastroenterology
Background : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of light propofol sedation on gastric emptying and orocecal transit time (OCT). Methods : Ten healthy male volunteers were studied on 2 occasions separated by at least 1 week and were randomly allocated to receive either propofol sedation or i.v. saline as a control. During propofol sedation the volunteers were sedated to grade 2–3 on a 5‐grade scale. This was achieved by a propofol infusion of 5 mg kg ‐1 h ‐1 initially, which was then titrated down to a dose of 2.4±0.7 mg kg ‐1 h ‐1 Paracetamol absorption was used as an indirect measure of the rate of gastric emptying and OCT was determined by use of the hydrogen breath test after ingestion of raffinose. Student's t ‐test for paired samples was used and the results are presented as means± SD. Results: During propofol sedation the maximum concentration of paracetamol (C max ) was 115±26.8μl/L, time to peak concentration (T max ) 50±38.8 min, and the area under the curve during the first 60 min (AUC 60 4793±1538 μmolXmin/L, versus C max 99±20.8, T max 69±41.9 and AUC 60 3897±1310 during saline infusion. These differences were not statistically significant. OCT was significantly shorter during the control study, 180±32.4 min, than during propofol sedation, 217±64.9 min (P<0.05). Conclusion : This study in volunteers has shown that gastric emptying of liquids seems uninfluenced by light propofol sedation. OCT was slightly prolonged during light propofol sedation.