A Case Report of the First Propofol Addiction in Turkey

Abstract

Propofol is a potent anaesthetic drug and also an effective sedative agent. Also, propofol may be used for non-anaesthetic purposes such as the treatment of seizures, migraine and tension headache in clinical practice. It has been abused, particularly among healthcare providers with high mortality rate. This report presents the case of a propofol-dependent patient who was an emergency medicine doctor with no difficulties in obtaining the drug. He himself visited our clinic for the treatment of propofol dependence. We started the patient's treatment with pharmacotherapeutic medicines and individual psychotherapy. Fourteen days after starting the therapy, the patient was discharged from hospital on his own will and he did not attend the follow-up visits in the outpatient clinic. Then, we were informed of his death, which was suspected to have occurred owing to drug intoxication in the hospital in which he worked. Nevertheless, the reason of death was important; the importance of this case report is to provide information regarding the drug's dependence profile. This is the first case report indicating propofol dependence in Turkey. Because of its easy access, rapid onset time and short duration of action, propofol dependence is increasing. We think that adding propofol to the controlled drug list and improving the knowledge of the clinicians regarding its abuse potential may limit the dependence cases.

Bispectral Index Monitoring and Observer Rating Scale Correlate with Dreaming during Propofol Anesthesia for Gastrointestinal Endoscopies

“…Short acting time, fast recovery, and few side effects are the advantages of propofol in clinical practice. Unconsciousness occurs 30 s after the 1.5-2.5 mg/kg propofol injection and lasts up to 10 min [4,5]. It is generally recognized to be safe for anesthesia and sedation.…”

Propofol Inhibits Androgen Production in Rat Immature Leydig Cells

“…Its safety and possible side effects to patients are of great concern. Studies have revealed that propofol causes damage to neurons in the developing brain in rodents (Tagawa et al, 2014; Chen et al, 2016) and induces addictive behaviors in rodents and humans (Koopmann et al, 2011; Bonnet and Scherbaum, 2012; Lian et al, 2012; Earley and Finver, 2013; Koroglu and Tezcan, 2016; Wang et al, 2016; Wu et al, 2016). Propofol is often used as an analgesic or sedative in humans during in vitro fertilization procedures, and it accumulates in the follicular fluid of oocytes (Christiaens et al, 1999; Ben-Shlomo et al, 2000).…”