The use of propofol in palliative medicine.

Abstract

Occasionally, terminal ill patients with severe agitated delirium are extremely difficult to sedate, either becoming too deeply sedated when undisturbed or severely agitated when disturbed. This situation occurs even with the short-acting benzodiazepines such as midazolam. This paper describes the use of a low-dose infusion of the anesthetic agent propofol (Diprivan, Zenica), which has a very short length of action and allows the depth of sedation to be easily controlled from minute to minute.