PROPOFOL SEDATION AND GASTRIC-EMPTYING IN VOLUNTEERS

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of l ight propofol sedation on gastric emptying and orocecal transit time ( OCT). Methods: Ten healthy male volunteers were studied on 2 occasions separated by at least 1 week and were randomly allocated to receive e ither propofol sedation or i.v. saline as a control. During propofol s edation the volunteers were sedated to grade 2-3 on a 5-grade scale. T his was achieved by a propofol infusion of 5 mg kg(-1) h(-1) initially , which was then titrated down to a dose of 2.4+/-0.7 mg kg(-1) h(-1). Paracetamol absorption was used as an indirect measure of the rate of gastric emptying and OCT tvas determined by use of the hydrogen breat h test after ingestion of raffinose, Student's t-test for paired sampl es was used and the results are presented as means+/-SD. Results: Duri ng propofol sedation the maximum concentration of paracetamol (C-max) was 115+/-26.8 mu mol/L, time to peak concentration (T-max) 50+/-38.8 min, and the area under the curve during the first 60 min (AUC(60)) 47 93+/-1538 mu mol x min/L, versus C-max 99+/-20.8, T-max 69+/-41.9 and AUC(60) 3897+/-1310 during saline infusion. These differences were not statistically significant. OCT was significantly shorter during the c ontrol study, 180+/-32.4 min, than during propofol sedation, 217+/-64. 9 (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study in volunteers has shown that gastri c emptying of liquids seems uninfluenced by light propofol sedation. O CT was slightly prolonged during light propofol sedation. (C) Acta Ana esthesiologica Scandinavica 42 (1998).