CONTAMINATION OF PROPOFOL INFUSIONS IN THE INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT - INCIDENCE AND CLINICAL-SIGNIFICANCE

Epidemics of bacteraemia and wound infection have been associated with the infusion of bacterially contaminated propofol administer during a naesthesia. We conducted an observational study to determine the incid ence and clinical significance of administration of potentially contam inated propofol to patients in an ICU setting. One hundred patients re ceived a total of 302 infusions of propofol. Eighteen episodes of poss ible contamination of propofol syringes were identified, but in all ca ses contamination was by a low-grade virulence pathogen. There were no episodes of clinical infection or colonization which could be attribu ted to the administration of contaminated propofol. During the routine use of propofol to provide sedation in ICU patients the risk of nosoc omial infection secondary to contamination of propofol is extremely lo w.