In vitro effects of propofol on blood coagulability and fibrinolysis by the use of thromboelastograph technique.

BACKGROUND

To investigate the in vitro effects of propofol on blood coagulability and fibrinolysis by the use of thromboelastograph (TEG) technique.

METHODS

The blood samples, obtained from 14 healthy volunteers, were divided into two groups: propofol (n = 7) and intralipid (n = 7), and 360 microliters volumes of whole blood were incubated with 2 microliters of 1% propofol and with its solvent intralipid, respectively. The incubated sample was then used for TEG measurements.

RESULTS

The maximum amplitude (MA), which reflects coagulability, in the intralipid group significantly increased by about 7% and 16% compared to the control and propofol groups, respectively (P < 0.05), whereas the MA in the propofol group did not change. The fibrinolytic rate (FR) in the propofol group significantly increased by about 170% and 210% compared to the control and intralipid groups, respectively (P < 0.05), whereas the FR in the intralipid group did not change.

CONCLUSIONS

Propofol, per se, has at the concentration of 55.6 micrograms.ml-1 an in vitro accelerative effect on blood fibrinolysis detected by TEG.