Skip Navigation



BJA Advance Access published online on June 5, 2008
British Journal of Anaesthesia, doi:10.1093/bja/aen134
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
101/2/207    most recent
aen134v1
Right arrow E-Letters: Submit a response to the article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bleeker, C.
Right arrow Articles by Willems-van Bree, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bleeker, C.
Right arrow Articles by Willems-van Bree, E.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia 2008. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Recovery and long-term renal excretion of propofol, its glucuronide, and two di-isopropylquinol glucuronides after propofol infusion during surgery

C. Bleeker1,2,*, T. Vree2, A. Lagerwerf3 and E. Willems-van Bree4

1 Department of Anaesthesiology, University Lung Clinic Dekkerswald, Groesbeek, The Netherlands
2 Department of Anaesthesiology
3 Department of Neurology
4 Department of Biological Psychology, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands

* Corresponding author: Department of Anaesthesiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Geert Groote Plein 10, Nijmegen 6500 HB, The Netherlands. E-mail: c.bleeker{at}anes.umcn.nl

Background: The metabolism of the short-acting anaesthetic agent propofol has been described over the first 24 h. However, the long-term disposition of propofol and its metabolites is unclear. We describe the pharmacokinetics (renal excretion rates and renal clearance) of propofol and its metabolites over 60 h.

Methods: Ten patients undergoing lung surgery were included in the study. They received anaesthesia with continuous i.v. propofol at an average rate of 10 mg min–1. During surgery and 60 h thereafter, we sampled blood and urine. Propofol and its metabolites were measured using gradient high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Results: In nine patients, propofol and its glucuronides were found in the plasma over the first 15 h. In the urine, however, even after 60 h, propofol and its quinol glucuronides were still detectable. One patient had a markedly different pharmacokinetic profile, showing a limited renal excretion or absorption of 12% of the dose.

Conclusions: After an infusion of propofol, patients excrete propofol and its metabolites in the urine over a period in excess of 60 h. We hypothesize that (re)absorption of propofol and its metabolites by the kidney is a major process in elimination and that the reabsorbed compounds are gradually conjugated in the kidney and excreted in the urine. One patient showed a different pharmacokinetic profile for which we currently have no explanation.

Keywords: kidney, metabolism; metabolism, metabolites; pharmacokinetics, propofol


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
K. Allegaert, J. Vancraeynest, M. Rayyan, J. de Hoon, V. Cossey, G. Naulaers, and R. Verbesselt
Urinary propofol metabolites in early life after single intravenous bolus
Br. J. Anaesth., December 1, 2008; 101(6): 827 - 831.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.