Propofol was administered intravenously using a first‐order, three‐compartment, computer‐controlled infusion pump (CCIP) based on the Ohmeda 9000 syringe pump. The CCIP system produced a target‐controlled infusion (TCI) based on the estimated blood concentration (EBC). Twenty‐five patients undergoing ambulatory surgery completed the study. The induction EBC was 4.72 ± 0.28 μg/ml, and was achieved rapidly with minimal hemodynamic changes. The emergence EBC was 1.55 ± 0.21 μg/ml, and the discharge EBC was 1.06 ± 0.22 μg/ml. The EBC, together with clinical signs, allowed for predictable inductance and emergence from anesthesia using propofol.
