Propofol Sedation Washouts in Critically Ill Infants: A Case Series

Abstract

Medically complex infants are experiencing longer hospital stays, more invasive procedures, and increasingly involved therapeutic interventions that often require long-term analgesia and sedation. This is most commonly achieved with continuous intravenous infusions of opioids and benzodiazepines. There are times when patients develop a tolerance for these medications or the clinical scenario necessitates a rapid wean of them. A rapid wean of either class of medication can lead to increased signs of pain and agitation or withdrawal symptoms. As a result, when a rapid wean is needed or there has been a failure to control symptoms with conventional measures, alternative therapies are considered. Propofol, a sedative hypnotic typically used for general anesthesia and procedural sedation, is one such medication. It has effectively been used for short-term sedation in adults and children to facilitate weaning benzodiazepines and opioids. There is a paucity of data on the use of propofol in infants for this purpose. Here we describe the use of propofol to rapidly wean high-dose sedation and analgesia medications, a propofol sedation washout, in 3 infants. The washouts proved to be safe and efficacious. Based on institutional experience and a literature review, considerations and recommendations are made for propofol sedation washouts in infants.