From the Research
Compatibility of Propofol and Heparin
- The compatibility of propofol and heparin has been studied in various contexts, including their use in intensive care units and during cardiac surgery 1, 2, 3.
- A study published in 1997 found that heparin did not affect the accuracy of neurone-specific enolase and S-100 assays when propofol was used during cardiac surgery 1.
- Another study published in 2009 investigated the effect of propofol on phosphorylcholine surfaces during cardiopulmonary bypass and found that the coating did not prevent the adsorption of propofol, but the oxygenator's gas exchange ability was not affected by prolonged exposure to propofol 2.
- A case report published in 2000 described the perioperative management of an elderly patient with a mechanical heart valve prosthesis who underwent hemicolectomy under total intravenous anesthesia with propofol infusion and heparin therapy, and found that the reduced heparin infusion could be continued with close coagulation monitoring 3.
- However, the studies do not provide direct evidence on the physical compatibility of propofol and heparin when mixed together, as the studies published in 1996 and 2017 only tested the compatibility of propofol with other drugs, but not with heparin specifically 4, 5.