PERFORMANCE OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED CONTINUOUS-INFUSION AT LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF INTRAVENOUS SEDATIVES

We studied the performance of a target-controlled drug infusion device , computer-assisted continuous infusion (CACI). Forty-one volunteers r eceived one of midazolam (n=11), propofol (n=10), thiopental (n=10), o r fentanyl (n=10) in sedative concentrations. Concentrations were kept constant for 45-70 min at five sequential target concentrations in ea ch subject. Twenty-six subjects had arterial sampling and 15 had venou s sampling to determine drug concentrations. Median performance errors , median absolute performance error (MDAPE), wobble, divergence, and m edian absolute constancy error (MDACE), defined as error around mean a ctual concentration at each target, were calculated. CACI demonstrated significant performance errors, which were different among drugs. MDA PE (5%-95% confidence interval) ranged from 22.9% (12.1%-39.6%) for pr opofol to 82.2% (36.0%-183.0%) for midazolam. Although performance err ors could be large, CACI was able to maintain a constant serum concent ration over time very successfully. The MDACE ranged from 5.6% (3.9%-1 7.3%) for fentanyl to 11.2% (8.9%-20.4%) for propofol. Few differences occurred between arterial and venous sampling, although when they occ urred, arterial samples indicated larger errors. It is concluded that CACI is very successful at maintaining constant serum concentrations o f these drugs at sedative concentrations. Arterial sampling should be used when the performance characteristics of an infusion device are be ing tested. However, venous sampling may be adequate to determine seru m concentrations when a pseudo-steady state has been achieved.