Propofol Is An Intravenous Hypnotic Drug

It is short acting and so needs to be given by continuous infusion into a vein for all but the quickest procedures.  In low dose it produces sedation (makes the patient sleepy) and if higher doses are given  it produces general anaesthesia (unconsciousness). ​

Many patients require sedation to tolerate treatments (such as being on a ventilator in ICU) or procedures (such as colonoscopy – a camera examination of the inside of the bowel). Published research shows that it is not always easy to get the dose right with some patients receiving too much and others too little

When it is administered by continuous infusion to maintain anaesthesia (keep people unconscious) it has substantial benefits for patients compared with the use of anaesthetic gases. These benefits include a carefully controlled, smooth induction of anaesthesia and a rapid, high quality recovery with a very low incidence of nausea. Propofol appears to have less impact on memory, especially in susceptible patients. Retrospective analysis suggests that patients who have cancer and are anaesthetised with propofol are more likely to be alive 5 years later than those given gaseous anaesthesia. Emerging laboratory evidence is helping to explain this.