Cornfield DN, Tegtmeyer K, Nelson MD, Milla CE, Sweeney M. Continuous propofol infusion in 142 critically ill children. Pediatrics. 2002; 110:1177-1181.

The use of propofol continuous infusion to induce sedation in children was studied in one pediatric intensive care unit. This study occurred prior to a Food and Drug Administration letter that indicated that safety concerns existed relating to the use of propofol in children at a dosage of 5.5 mg/kg/hr. The current study capped the total dose of propofol at 4 mg/kg/hr.

The sample consisted of 142 patients in the PICU who needed sedation. This sedation was desired in order to decrease the child's anxiety, provide for better mechanical ventilation, and to reduce the incidence of tube and/or catheter displacement. Nurses' notes were reviewed to obtain data on the level of sedation in the child.

Results showed that the patients were sedated by the continuous propofol infusion. There were no incidents of tubes or catheters being pulled out, nor were there metabolic acidosis events that could be attributed solely to the propofol. The researchers noted that the propofol appeared to be safe in the strictly controlled doses used in this study.