Use of propofol to manage seizure activity after surgical treatment of portosystemic shunts

The anaesthetic agent propofol has anticonvulsant properties and has been u sed in the treatment of refractory status epilepticus in human medicine. Th is report describes the use of propofol in four cats and one dog with natur ally occurring seizures following surgical attenuation of single extrahepat ic portosystemic shunts. Two of the animals had seizures that were unrespon sive to other anticonvulsants. Subanaesthetic doses of intravenous propofol (1.0 to 3.5 mg/kg boluses and 0.01 to 0.25 mg/kg/minute continuous rate in fusions) were used to control the seizures in all animals. However, a good neurological outcome was achieved in only two of the five cases, which is s imilar to the situation in previous reports.