Real-Time Blood Propofol Concentration Monitoring
FEATURED
26th UN Climate Change Conference – COP 26
Propofol the better choice for sedation
SOMNUS n. som-nuhs:
The Roman god of sleep. The personification of sleep. Greek counterpart is Hypnos.
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Positive news as NHS moves towards reducing carbon footprint
Dr Tim Craft interviewed on BBC Radio
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Somnus explains the new products being developed by Somnus and how they can benefit patients and clinicians
Somnus Business development Lead Malcolm Stewart explains…
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A Suite Of Products To Measure Blood Propofol Concentration At the Point of Care
There is mounting evidence that patients given sedation (for instance in intensive care) are frequently over-sedated. As a result, they take longer to get off breathing machines (ventilators), stay in ICU longer than they need to, and are less likely to survive. Propofol is the most commonly used sedative in the majority of ICUs but there is currently no way of measuring how much is in the patients’ blood stream in real-time.
Despite increasing evidence of benefits to patients and the environment of using Total Intravenous Anaesthesia (TIVA) rather than volatile or gaseous anaesthesia, adoption of TIVA by clinicians is limited partly by the lack of a real-time blood propofol concentration monitor.
Somnus Scientific Limited is developing a suite of products to fill these gaps
What is Propofol?
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.
Learn moreEvidence
TIVA has benefits for patients including fewer symptoms such as postoperative nausea and vomiting and a better recovery profile.
View EvidenceLearn more about Somnus
Why is propofol often the better choice when sedating patients?
Read MoreProf Tim Craft, Somnus’ CEO, will be speaking at the Association of Anaesthetists on January 14th. Tim will detail progress Somnus has made towards the development of real-time blood propofol concentration in the 12 months since winning the 2021 Award for Innovation.
Read MoreThe Somnus Board are supported by an expert Scientific Clinical Advisory Board and Academic Partners. Find out more
Read MoreUseful guide from @Assoc_Anaes on how every anaesthetist can make a difference to the environment. #greenanaesthetic
Read MoreRT @propofoldream: Dear colleagues, Do you also hate discarding lots of propofol? Not sure how much to draw up? We wrote a simple App tha…
Read MoreWe all have a role to play in reducing carbon emissions. The technology being developed by Somnus could significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the entire NHS.
Read MoreRT @NICEComms: As part of our five-year strategy, launched earlier this year, we pledged to do our bit to create a #GreenerNHS. We will l…
Read MoreGreat to receive positive comments and ideas from colleagues on the Somnus Linked In page.
Read MoreRT @GreenAnaesScot: Productive day showcasing #GreenAnaesthesia at @COP26 today! A fantastic opportunity and great to have so much support…
Read MoreSomnus CEO Dr Tim Craft appointed Visiting Professor at UWE. @UWEBristol
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