Expert: Dr Ian Jackson - please note UK based - 9/23/2004

Question
I am currently a university student working on an assignment on intravenous aneasthesia, in particular propofol, or its trade name Diprivan. After some initial research from patents and literature on the web, I discovered that there is a number of patients experience pain during the application of Diprivan either by injection or as a drip. Could you tell me why this is so, how this could be overcomed and reduced, and also the current developements and improvements being made to overcome this problem? Your response would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Answer
Nicholas

I'm sorry but I don't know the pharmacological reason for the pain - except that it is a direct effect of the drug on the veins. There should be a fair bit published about this as I have seen a lot of research about it over the years.

Local anaesthetic such as lidocaine mixed with the propofol reduces the incidence of the problem - in fact one company now markets a version with this premixed.

Keep looking and you will find the info.

Ian Jackson