Neonatal Intensive Care Drug Manual

Neonates with seizures – may be excitatory during recovery phase.

With anaesthetic doses, the patient will be apnoeic within 30–90 seconds.

Propofol use, especially at increasing doses, is associated with hypotension.

Propofol use for MIST and other procedures increased the need for respiratory support and ventilation.

Reduce propofol dose by 40–60% for sick patients, or if combined with other,

sedatives/analgesics.

benzodiazepines, barbiturates, chloral hydrate and droperidol). Inhalational agents can increase the anaesthetic or sedative and cardiorespiratory effects of propofol.

Profound hypotension has been reported following anaesthetic induction with propofol in, patients treated with rifampicin.

A need for lower propofol dose has been observed in patients taking valproate. Propofol does not cause a clinically significant change in onset, intensity or duration of action of the commonly used neuromuscular blocking agents e.g. suxamethonium and non-depolarising muscle relaxants.

No significant adverse interactions have been observed with commonly used premedications or drugs used during anaesthesia or sedation (including a range of muscle relaxants, inhalational agents, analgesic agents and local anaesthetic agents).

Lower doses of propofol may be required where general anaesthesia is used as an adjunct to regional anaesthetic techniques.