Short anesthesia with propofol

introduction

Brief anesthesia is generally understood to be brief sedation, i.e. Switching off the consciousness in order to carry out operative diagnostic medical measures less often. The length of a short anesthetic depends on the amount administered, the preparation used and individual factors such as body weight, gender, height and whether the patient to be sedated is a smoker or non-smoker.

Read more on the topic: Types of anesthesia - which are there?

After a wide variety of drugs for performing short anesthesia were brought onto the market and used in the past, the drug Propofol has largely gained acceptance for short surgical interventions or brief diagnostic measures.

Read more on the topic: Propofol

Propofol is well controllable and is a sole narcotic. The drug does not switch off pain, which is why it is essential for surgical interventions Painkiller must be added. Be used to induce a propofol anesthesia 1-2 mg per kilogram of body weight the patient about a venous access injected. Then a maintenance dose of 12 mg / kg body weight per hour is administered to the patient by means of a pump. Propofol is used for diagnostic or therapeutic interventionsthat last between 10 minutes and 8 hours. The amount and speed of injection are calculated accordingly.

It is considered to be in comparison to its medicinal counterparts low risk and low side effects. Nevertheless, short anesthesia with propofol also have corresponding risks. So can allergic reaction occur. Sometimes, though not as often as with other narcotics, it happens after drainage Nausea and vomiting of the patient. Often, dreams of a pleasant kind, less often nightmares, are described under propofol anesthesia. Propofol is potentially psychologically addicting. Due to the difficulty of obtaining it (mostly only by clinic employees), however, it is not one of the drugs of first choice.

Short anesthesia with propofol

Propofol is often used for planned short interventions that require the patient to be asleep and muscles as relaxed as possible, but not necessarily to eliminate pain. For example, with a colonoscopy or gastroscopy.
For this purpose, the patient is introduced into the venous blood system with an indwelling cannula, via which the propofol can be given without further piercing through the skin as required. In addition, the patient is usually supplied with additional oxygen using a breathing mask. In the case of high-risk patients, the patient may even be intubated. In this case, however, additional painkillers are administered in order to cause the person concerned as little stress as possible.

You may also be interested in this topic: Mask anesthesia

Duration of short anesthesia with propofol

Propofol is a well-controlled narcotic. In general, short anesthesia means sedating the patient for up to 15 minutes. Depending on the procedure, Propofol can be given in such a way that a sedative effect of 10 minutes is not exceeded. But lengthy, large operations can also be carried out using propofol. Long and difficult heart operations or complicated bowel operations can sometimes take up to 8 hours or more. Propofol is also the narcotic of choice here. After the induction of anesthesia, which is carried out at a dose of 1-2 mg / kg body weight, a maintenance dose of 12 mg per kg body weight is required to keep the patient asleep. The anesthetist is in close contact with the surgeon. Shortly before the operation is completed, the propofol supply is turned off. The body begins to drain the drug. As soon as the dose in the body falls below a certain limit, the patient slowly wakes up. Theoretically, the anesthesia with propofol could be maintained for several days, but in practice it is usually used for interventions up to a maximum of 30 minutes, such as colonoscopies (colonoscopy) or gastroscopy (gastroscopy).

Read more on this topic at: Course of a gastroscopy, course of a colonoscopy

Cost of short anesthesia with propofol

A general statement about the costs of short anesthesia with propofol can be made by is difficult to give. The total price is made up of many individual factors such as the amount to be borne by yourself, the duration of anesthesia, the invoice rate of the treating practice, etc.
Dental practices, for example, give a guideline value of around € 120 for anesthesia for dental treatment, while the costs for scraping can be both below and above this.


The short anesthesia with propofol is usually an additional service that is not or only partially covered by the health insurances, since the same procedure could also be carried out with a local anesthetic, which is cheaper to use. In individual cases - if the anesthesia with propofol is the lower-risk option - the costs are also covered in full by the health insurance company. So it's always worth asking here.

Short anesthesia with propofol at the dentist

Propofol is an anesthetic that is very common today sedating but not pain relieving or has a pain relieving effect. It is used today in most surgical procedures, both short-term and long-term interventions. In principle, an anesthetist does not necessarily have to be present when using propofol. Many outpatient interventions, such as gastric or colonoscopies are performed this way today.

Also at dental procedures The very controllable propofol is sometimes used. Especially with Wisdom tooth operationsthat are difficult to perform or in the case of lengthy procedures, the dentist can give propofol anesthesia if he has placed an appropriate cannula in the patient's arm or hand vein. For the safety of the patient, however, it would always be good if a Anesthetist can at least be reached it should be Complications come under propofol. Above all, that should be mentioned here allergic reaction on this drug or having difficulty breathing.

As a rule, dental interventions do not take longer than 1 hour. Also at Patients with great anxiety can he Use of propofol should be considered. A previous one Education about risks and side effects should definitely be done.

Short anesthesia with propofol in the MRI

Is a for examining a patient Magnetic resonance imaging necessary, it is not uncommon for patients to refuse to do so because they due to the tightness of claustrophobia to have. Alternative diagnostic options are often sought. Sometimes an MRI scan is urgent, in which case it can be considered Examination under short anesthesia with propofol to have carried out.

Propofol is a so-called narcotic, i.e. it switches off receptors that are necessary for attention and thus puts the patient into a deep sleep. However, pain receptors are not switched off and so the patient can feel pain. This is less of a concern for MRI examinations that do not result in pain than for surgical interventions.

Short anesthesia with propofol for a colonoscopy

Propofol is that today most common anesthetics when performing Colonoscopies. It is popular due to its good controllability and rapid drainage and has comparably few side effects compared to its competing products.

After the patient has been properly prepared for the colonoscopy, he receives one Cannula mostly in the arm or back of the hand laid by the examiner. A previously calculated amount of propofol given. Often an infusion with saline solution is given immediately afterwards. The patient falls asleep immediately. Since Propofol is not a pain reliever, the patient only sleeps and can feel pain. If greater pain is to be expected during the examination, an appropriate pain medication would have to be given.

Short anesthesia with propofol during a gastroscopy

For a brief procedure such as a gastroscopy, Propofol can be used for a short anesthetic.

At a Gastroscopy there are some very uncomfortable hurdles to overcome for the patient. First, he gets one Drug sprayed down the throat, which reduces the sensitivity and makes the throat less sensitive. The flexible gastroscope is then inserted into the mouth and the patient is asked to swallow it. Some patients can endure this procedure without further intervention.

But some would like one for this procedure Short anesthesia. This is usually done Propofol used that very much well controllable and is injected into the patient's vein. You can go through the uncomplicated application Bridge intervention times of at least 10 minutes and a maximum of 8 hours. For brief interventions, a previously calculated amount of propofol is administered to the patient. A short time after the procedure, the amount is used up and the patient slowly wakes up again.

should that Drug wear off and the procedure still takes some time to complete, Propofol can also be given in again. However, it should be noted that the corresponding wake-up time is extended. Propofol can be given without the patient having to be ventilated. However, the Oxygen saturation measured in each patientwho received propofol. After all, a drop in oxygen saturation during minor operations is a serious complication.

Short anesthesia with propofol during a scraping

In the case of gynecological scraping, the patient must be anesthetized in any case. Over time, most anesthetics have been replaced by the drug propofol. Since scraping is a relatively short procedure, anesthesia with propofol is also an option here. The good controllability and relatively few side effects and risks make propofol the drug of choice for short interventions.

Usually the scraping is done under general anesthesia, which means that the patient does not notice the procedure. Since propofol does not relieve pain, you also need a pain reliever. During the operation, the vital functions such as breathing, pulse and blood pressure are constantly monitored by an anesthetist, who ensures that the anesthesia is deep enough so that nothing is noticed about the procedure, but the patient can still breathe.

In the case of a gynecological scraping, the patient is informed accordingly about the risks of the procedure and the propofol administration. She is then given a venous access through which a previously calculated amount of propofol is administered shortly before the procedure. How much of the medication has to be given depends on the expected length of the procedure, the weight and height of the patient and the previous and concomitant illnesses, or whether the patient takes other medication or also smokes.

A scraping usually takes between 10 and 30 minutes. Due to the good controllability of the drug, the patients wake up shortly after the scraping has been completed. Should the procedure take longer, the medication can also be injected accordingly.

Read more on the topic: Uterine scraping

Short anesthesia with propofol when inserting the IUD

Laying one spiral is mostly a relative shorter and less painfulintervention, albeit uncomfortable. As a rule, this is done by a gynecologist no anesthetics administered. Is one with the patient pronounced fear present or if pain is to be expected, a Short anesthesia considered during the procedure become.

Most of the time the drug comes Propofol, which is ideally suited due to its rapid flooding and draining. Inserting a coil only takes a few minutes. Accordingly, only a small amount of the propofol is necessary. The patient wakes up a short time after the operation. At the Change of a spiral however it can too stronger pain come. Here comes then Frequent use of propofol.

The Practices but have to when using propofol appropriately equipped and trained have been. There can be side effects and risks with propofol, albeit rarely. In addition to intolerance and allergies, respiratory depression must also be taken into account, which can lead to insufficient oxygen saturation under Propofol.

Short anesthesia with propofol in a cataract operation

In ophthalmology, propofol is often used for short anesthesia, during which the eyes, the eyelids and the optic nerves are anesthetized. This offers the possibility of applying the local anesthetic around the eye - a very uncomfortable area - without the patient noticing anything.

During the actual operation, the patient is awake, but thanks to the local anesthetic, he does not notice the operation on his eye, since the transmission of the optic nerve is also switched off.

Read more on this topic at: Cataract surgery

Short anesthesia with propofol in children

To one uncomplicated procedure To ensure this in children, it may be necessary to put the patient under a short anesthetic. Here, similar to adult treatment, propofol has established itself as the drug of choice. The main reason is that good controllability, the rapid flooding and draining and the good compatibility of the drug.

For children, however, a special dosage observed as an adult dose can lead to life-threatening conditions in children. The practitioners need one special training in pediatric anesthesia and should have some experience before using propofol in children. Propofol is used in children Dentistry in pediatrics in the Gastroenterology and at ENT medical procedures applied.

Side effects of propofol during short anesthesia

The main side effects include the general depressant effect on the human organism.The breathing stimulus can be greatly weakened or even suppressed. The risks of short anesthesia with propofol are an overdose. With propofol, this could in the worst case result in a patient's respiratory failure.

Propofol also has a slowing effect on the heart rate and lowers the blood pressure of the anesthetized patients. In relatively rare cases, propofol can even trigger seizures.
One side effect that is guaranteed to occur, however, is irritation of the blood vessels from the propofol. Compared to other anesthetics, it does not have an analgesic effect, so it is often injected in combination with a pain reliever.

Since propofol is eliminated via the kidneys, the dosage should be adjusted according to kidney performance in order to avoid the risk of overdosing.
Of course, the exact opposite can also occur in that people excrete the anesthetic very quickly and the anesthesia is therefore ended earlier than planned, since propofol usually only has an effect time of approx. 5-10 minutes.

Short anesthesia with propofol when breastfeeding

Breastfeeding immediately after a short anesthetic can be done without hesitation. Propofol works through the bloodstream, but after its effect, propofol is absorbed in adipose tissue and only released from there very slowly, before being excreted from the body through the kidneys. Only minimal amounts end up in the breast milk that pose no threat to the breastfed infant.

After-effects of propofol in short-term anesthesia

Patients who have received short anesthesia with propofol have reported a positive, euphoric feeling upon awakening. This is why propofol is often misused as a kind of anesthetic. However, this feeling only lasts for a few minutes. In addition, it is one of the anesthetics that hardly causes postoperative nausea. One negative effect is that the area where the propofol was injected hurts after the operation, as it irritates the blood vessel walls.