Résumé
BACKGROUND: The effect site is the theoretical compartment in which a drug exerts its action and thus the concentration at this site is a direct determinant of a drug,s effect. This study was performed to compare effect site targeting with plasma targeting with regard to induction phenomena and vital sign changes using propofol target controlled infusion (TCI). METHODS: Forty patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Groups were defined as propofol administered via TCI to either a target plasma propofol concentration (group P) or to a target effect site (group E) propofol concentration. We used Master TCI for plasma targeting and a stelpump program for effect site targeting. The concentration targeted for all subjects was 5.7 microgram/ml. We compared the time to loss of consciousness, change of concentration, BP and pulse pressure between groups until the effect site concentration was reached at 5.7 microgram/ml. RESULTS: The median time to LOC in group P was 58.1 +/- 11.8 s and 35.8 +/- 7.9 s in group E (P <0.05). The mean time to achieve the effect site concentration of 5.7 microgram/ml was 18.5 +/- 0.1 min in group P and 3.6 +/- 0.1 min in group E (P < 0.05). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure showed significant changes in group E. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that anesthetic induction time can be significantly reduced when the effect site concentration is targeted. However, we recommended effect site targeting in anesthesia induction with propofol TCI only in cases of healthy young patients because of possible undesirable hemodynamic changes.