Propofol and COVID-19 infusion syndrome. Case report

ABSTRACT

The severe form of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (COVID-19) occurs in most cases with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), requiring the use of sedation during mechanical ventilation, with propofol being the most widely used for its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Propofol is a widely used anesthetic in intensive care units (ICU). Its use can cause an infrequent but extremely serious adverse effect, known as propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS), which is closely associated with the speed of infusion coupled with risk factors specific to the patient, the clinical features of PRIS are hemodynamic instability, lactic acidosis and with progression to multi-organ dysfunction. We present a case of SIP in a patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to SARS-CoV-2 who develops this complication associated with sedation, discusses clinical pathophysiology and considerations that should be taken into account when using it in continuous infusion. Copyright © 2023, Colegio Mexicano de Anestesiologia A.C.. All rights reserved.