Propofol is commonly used to sedate patients undergoing procedures such as colonoscopies because it leaves patients feeling well-rested when they wake up. Physicians say patients have balked at the use of the drug in recent months because they associate propofol with mortality following Mr. Jackson’s death.
This hesitance has also provided a teaching opportunity for physicians to explain that medications like propofol do not directly kill or harm patients. Rather, improper administration and inattention to detail can cause patient mortality. Propofol should only be administered by people trained in giving general anesthesia and who are not involved in the conduct of the surgery or diagnostic procedure, according to the FDA.
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