Bacterial contamination of propofol vials used in operating rooms of a third-level hospital.

We found a 6.1% bacterial contamination rate among 198 propofol vials collected after clinical use in 12 operating rooms of a high-complexity hospital in Cali, Colombia. Some propofol vials were used for extended periods (up to 72 hours), and only 26.1% of vials were punctured once. Median time of use, although not statistically significant, was higher in positive samples (7.2 vs 3.5 hours, P = .08). Education on the topic should stress that vials are single-patient use and must be immediately discarded after use.