Critical care clinics
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Critical care clinics · Oct 2001
ReviewUse of propofol and other nonbenzodiazepine sedatives in the intensive care unit.
Sedatives continue to be used on a routine basis in critically ill patients. Although many agents are available and some approach an ideal, none are perfect. Patients require continuous reassessment of their pain and need for sedation. ⋯ Benzodiazepines and narcotics often are used in concert with propofol to provide reliable amnesia and to relieve pain, respectively. Propofol frequently causes hypotension when administered as a bolus or infusion, particularly in patients with limited cardiac reserve or hypovolemia. More data must be obtained to identify potential deleterious effects of hypertriglyceridemia, and further evaluation of the potential benefits in certain patient populations, such as neurosurgical patients, is needed.