A Rare Complication of Propofol Infusion Syndrome: Diagnosis and Treatment

This chapter reports about a rare complication of propofol infusion syndrome. Propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS) is a multifactorial condition that, upon propofol administration, can interrupt critical cellular processes. Propofol is a sedative-hypnotic medication commonly used as an induction agent for preoperative sedation, prior to endotracheal intubation and other procedures as well as for sedation in the intensive care unit. This may result in multi-organ system failure with potentially fatal consequences due to cellular damage. We report about a case of 46-year-old male with a past medical history of asthma and substance drug abuse. He was brought in by emergency medical services (EMS) when his sister found him unresponsive on the floor, having difficulty breathing. This patient was brought in due to unresponsiveness secondary to multi-substance abuse and respiratory disease and initially had elevated creatinine kinase levels that eventually subsided with appropriate management. His creatinine kinase values, however, started to sharply increase with a protracted propofol infusion, suggesting the onset of propofol infusion syndrome. Creatinine kinase levels in the patient resumed to normal after the offending drug was stopped.