NPPG Administrator, Suite 213, Boundary House, London W7 2QE
Safe Use of Continuous Intravenous Propofol Infusions in Paediatric Critical Care
We are pleased to share a new joint position statement on the use of propofol for sedation in paediatric critical care, developed collaboratively by the Paediatric Critical Care Society (PCCS), the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists (APA/APAGBI) and the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy Group (NPPG).
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This work arose from a Prevention of Future Deaths report issued by HM Coroner following the death of Antonio Galisi-Swallow, which highlighted concerns about the risks of Propofol-Related Infusion Syndrome (PRIS) and the need for consistent approaches to the use of propofol in paediatric critical care. As part of our response, PCCS committed to raising awareness of this issue, producing a position statement, and ensuring that all PICUs have appropriate local guidance in place.
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The position statement provides a shared national high-level framework describing key principles for safe practice, and factors that should be considered when propofol is used in paediatric critical care. It is intentionally a position statement rather than a prescriptive guideline. Individual units remain responsible for developing and maintaining local protocols that reflect local governance arrangements and clinical practice.
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We would like to thank colleagues from PCCS, APA and NPPG who contributed significant time and expertise to this work.
We encourage all paediatric critical care services to review the statement and ensure that appropriate local guidance for the use of propofol is in place. This expectation will also be reflected in the next edition of the PCCS Standards.
Thank you for your continued commitment to the care of children and young people in critical care, and I hope you find the statement helpful.
Keywords: Propofol Infusion Syndrome PICU Paediatric Critical Care InfusionSyndrome