Propofol sedation during gastrointestinal endoscopy arouses euphoria in a large subset of patients

BackgroundPropofol is recommended for sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopy (GE), but preliminary data suggest addictive potentials.ObjectiveThe objective of this article is to evaluate the frequency of predominantly euphoric reaction after GE and patients’ subsequent reminiscences.MethodsEighty-two patients undergoing elective GE under propofol sedation were enrolled in a prospective observational study. The grade of anxiety, expectation or relief about the examination’s result and affective state in terms of cheerfulness, relaxation, activation, sedation and anxiety were surveyed using a numeric rating scale (1 to 10) immediately before (t1), after GE (t2) and seven days (t3) later. Statistics: hierarchical cluster analysis, heat map, χ2 test and paired t test.ResultsMean propofol dosage was 264 ± 120 mg. Two clusters of mood changes emerged (t1 vs. t2). One (n = 46, 56.1%) was characterized by an unease reaction pattern with equal values regarding cheerfulness, relaxation and anxiety, while relaxation...