Computer‐Assisted Continuous Infusion for the Delivery of Target‐Controlled Infusions of Propofol During Outpatient Surgery

Propofol was administered intravenously using a first-order, three-compartment, computer-controlled infusion pump (CCIP) based on the Ohmeda 9000 syringe pump. The CCIP system produced a target-controlled infusion (TCI) based on the estimated blood concentration (EBC). Twenty-five patients undergoing ambulatory surgery completed the study. The induction EBC was 4.72 +/- 0.28 micrograms/ml, and was achieved rapidly with minimal hemodynamic changes. The emergence EBC was 1.55 +/- 0.21 micrograms/ml, and the discharge EBC was 1.06 +/- 0.22 micrograms/ml. The EBC, together with clinical signs, allowed for predictable inductance and emergence from anesthesia using propofol.