Editing Propofol (section)

===Anesthesia===
To induce general anesthesia, propofol is the drug used almost exclusively, having largely replaced [[sodium thiopental]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Discovery and development of propofol, a widely used anesthetic |url=http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/show/discovery-and-development-propofol-widely-used-anesthetic/ |access-date=8 September 2020 |website=The Lasker Foundation |quote=Propofol is used today to initiate anesthesia in nearly 100% of general anesthesia cases worldwide.}}</ref>

It is often administered as part of an anesthesia maintenance technique called [[total intravenous anesthesia]], using either manually programmed infusion pumps or computer-controlled infusion pumps in a process called [[target controlled infusion]] (TCI).<ref>{{Cite journal | vauthors = Gale T, Leslie K, Kluger M |date= December 2001 |title=Propofol anaesthesia via target controlled infusion or manually controlled infusion: effects on the bispectral index as a measure of anaesthetic depth |journal=Anaesthesia and Intensive Care |volume=29 |issue=6 |pages=579–584 |doi=10.1177/0310057X0102900602 |pmid=11771598 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Propofol is also used to sedate people who are receiving mechanical ventilation but not undergoing surgery, such as patients in the [[intensive care unit]].<ref name="Lewis_2018">{{cite journal | vauthors = Lewis SR, Schofield-Robinson OJ, Alderson P, Smith AF | title = Propofol for the promotion of sleep in adults in the intensive care unit | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 1 | pages = CD012454 | date = January 2018 | issue = 1 | pmid = 29308828 | pmc = 6353271 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD012454.pub2 }}</ref> In critically ill patients, propofol is superior to [[lorazepam]] both in effectiveness and overall cost.<ref name="Cox-2008">{{cite journal | vauthors = Cox CE, Reed SD, Govert JA, Rodgers JE, Campbell-Bright S, Kress JP, Carson SS | title = Economic evaluation of propofol and lorazepam for critically ill patients undergoing mechanical ventilation | journal = Critical Care Medicine | volume = 36 | issue = 3 | pages = 706–714 | date = March 2008 | pmid = 18176312 | pmc = 2763279 | doi = 10.1097/CCM.0B013E3181544248 }}</ref> Propofol is relatively inexpensive compared to medications of similar use due to shorter ICU stay length.<ref name="Cox-2008" /> One of the reasons propofol is thought to be more effective (although it has a longer half-life than [[lorazepam]]) is that studies have found that benzodiazepines like [[midazolam]] and lorazepam tend to accumulate in critically ill patients, prolonging sedation.<ref name="Cox-2008" />

Propofol has also been suggested as a [[sleep aid]] in critically ill adults in an ICU setting; however, the effectiveness of this medicine in replicating the mental and physical aspects of sleep for people in the ICU is not clear.<ref name="Lewis_2018" />

Propofol can be administered via a [[Intravenous therapy|peripheral IV]] or [[Central venous catheter|central line]]. Propofol is often paired with [[fentanyl]] (for pain relief) in intubated and sedated people.<ref name="Isert_1996">{{cite journal |vauthors=Isert PR, Lee D, Naidoo D, Carasso ML, Kennedy RA |date=June 1996 |title=Compatibility of propofol, fentanyl, and vecuronium mixtures designed for potential use in anesthesia and patient transport |journal=Journal of Clinical Anesthesia |volume=8 |issue=4 |pages=329–336 |doi=10.1016/0952-8180(96)00043-8 |pmid=8695138}}</ref> The two drugs are molecularly compatible in an IV mixture form.<ref name="Isert_1996" />

Propofol is also used to deepen anesthesia to relieve [[laryngospasm]]. It may be used alone or followed by [[succinylcholine]]. Its use can avoid the need for paralysis and in some instances the potential side-effects of succinylcholine.<ref name= "Gavel_2014">{{cite journal | vauthors = Gavel G, Walker RW | title = Laryngospasm in anaesthesia | journal = Continuing Education in Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain | volume = 14 | issue = 2 | date = April 2014 | pages = 47–51 | doi = 10.1093/bjaceaccp/mkt031 | doi-access = free }}</ref>