Propofol-Related Infusion Syndrome: A Review of the Clinical Manifestations and the Managing Approach

Introduction and purpose: Propofol, widely used as an anesthetic and sedative, has seen a significant rise in its application, particularly in intensive care units, over the past decade. In recent years, numerous reports have highlighted the emergence of a propofol-related infusion syndrome (PRIS) in critically ill adults and, more commonly, children receiving continuous propofol infusion for sedation or anesthesia. Propofol-related infusion syndrome (PRI) is typically characterized by progressive metabolic acidosis, hemodynamic instability, and bradyarrhythmias that may remain unresponsive to aggressive pharmacological intervention. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature on PRIS, examining its clinical manifestations, proposed pathophysiological mechanisms, and potential strategies for managing the syndrome should it arise in clinical practice. The authors want to emphasize a remarkable role of careful evaluation of patients treating with propofol. Materials and methods: A thorough search of electronic databases, including PubMed and Google Scholar, was conducted using relevant keywords such as „Propofol-related infusion syndrome”, „Propofol”, „Propofol infusion”, „Propofol infusion syndrome”. All retrieved papers were evaluated for relevance based on their titles, abstracts, and full-text content. We used AI tools to grammatically correct text.