Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 2015
Meta AnalysisPropofol and survival: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
One of the most commonly used hypnotics is propofol. Several studies performed in cardiac surgery suggested an increased mortality in patients receiving a propofol-based total intravenous anaesthesia. Furthermore, the possibility of infections and the 'propofol syndrome' have suggested that propofol might be dangerous. Nonetheless, propofol is widely used in different settings because of its characteristics: fast induction, rapid elimination, short duration of action, smooth recovery from anaesthesia, few adverse effects, no teratogenic effects, characteristics that have undoubtedly contributed to its popularity. The effect of propofol on survival is unknown. We decided to carry out a meta-analysis of all randomized controlled studies ever performed on propofol vs. any comparator in any clinical setting. ⋯ Inspite of theoretical concerns, propofol has no detrimental effect on survival according to the largest meta-analysis of randomized trials ever performed on hypnotic drug.