| Authors | Telles, J.L. Agarwal, S. Monagle, J Stough, C. King, R. Downey, L.A. |
|---|---|
| Type | Journal Article (Original Research) |
| Journal | Anaesthesia and Intensive Care |
| PubMed ID | 27832555 |
| Year of Publication | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27832555 |
| Download |  2016_Nov_Driving_impariment_AIC.pdf (1.1 MB) |
| Abstract | Australian guidelines state "Following brief surgery or procedures with short acting anaesthetic drugs, the patient may be fit to drive after a normal night's sleep. After long surgery or procedures requiring longer lasting anaesthesia, it may not be safe to drive for 24 hours or more". The increasing use of the short-acting anaesthetic drug propofol as a solitary sedative medication for simple endoscopy procedures suggests a need to review this blanket policy. Thirty patients presenting for elective day surgery were recruited as volunteers for a pre-procedure driving simulation study and randomised to propofol or placebo arms. Driving ability was assessed at baseline and then, in the propofol group, at three effect-site concentrations. Driving impairment at these concentrations of propofol was compared to that of a third group of volunteers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% (g/100 ml). Driving impairment at 0.2 microg/ml propofol effect-site concentration was not statistically different to placebo. Impairment increased with propofol effect-site concentration (P=0.002) and at 0.4 microg/ml it was similar to that found with a blood alcohol concentration of 50 mg/100 ml (0.05%). Plasma propofol concentrations of 0.2 microg/ml, as might be found approximately an hour after short (<1 hour duration) propofol-only sedation for endoscopy, were not associated with driving impairment in our young cohort of volunteers. |
http://www.ibas.org.au/what-we-do/publications/3872914
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