Comparison of arterialized venous with arterial blood propofol concentrations during sub-anaesthetic infusions in volunteers

• Published in: British journal of anaesthesia : BJA Vol. 76; no. 3; pp. 401 - 404
• Main Authors: Johnston, K R, Vickers, M D, Mapleson, W W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.1996; Oxford University Press; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Anesthetics, Intravenous - administration & dosage; Anesthetics, Intravenous - blood; Anesthetics. Neuromuscular blocking agents; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Specimen Collection - methods; Female; Forearm - blood supply; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Male; Medical sciences; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Propofol - administration & dosage; Propofol - blood; Radial Artery; Regional Blood Flow; Veins; Human; Arterial blood; Site; Venous blood; Intravenous administration; General anesthetic; Samplings; Measurement method; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0007-0912; 1471-6771
• DOI: 10.1093/bja/76.3.401

We have compared propofol concentrations in arterial and arterialized venous blood (from the radial artery at the wrist and a vein in the opposite forearm) in five volunteers during a sub-anaesthetic increasing infusion regimen designed to produce pseudo-steady-state arterial concentrations of 0.06, 0.17 and 0.43 micrograms ml-1. As in a previous study, we found no statistically significant difference between sampling sites (P = 0.66). However, changes in the method of arterialization yielded a reduction in the observed variability, with the arterialized venous propofol concentration lying within +/- 23% (95% reference interval) of the corresponding arterial concentration compared with 1 +/- 43%, as reported previously.