SEIZURES ASSOCIATED WITH PROPOFOL ANESTHESIA

Propofol is a new, fast-acting intravenous (i.v.) anesthetic. Involunt ary movements or epileptic seizures have occurred during or after prop ofol-induced anesthesia in approximately 50 reported cases; a third of the patients have had epilepsy. We report 5 patients with seizures in association with propofol anesthesia. A female epileptic patient deve loped severe status epilepticus; the other patients with short-lasting seizures had no previous epilepsy. Although propofol has been used in treatment of patients of status epilepticus, the risk of precipitatio n of epileptic seizures warrants consideration especially when plannin g anesthesia for epileptic patients.