Accidental Accidental awareness during general anesthesia (AAGA) occurs in 1-2% of high-risk practice patients and is a cause of severe psychological trauma, termed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, no monitoring techniques can accurately predict or detect AAGA. Since the first reflex for a patient during AAGA is to move, a passive brain-computer interface (BCI) based on the detection of an intention of movement would be conceivable to alert the anesthetist. However, the way in which propofol (i.e., an anesthetic commonly used for the general anesthesia induction) affects motor brain activity within the electroencephalographic (EEG) signal has been poorly investigated and is not clearly understood. For this reason, a detailed study of the motor activity behavior with a step-wise increasing dose of propofol is required and would provide a proof of concept for such an innovative BCI. The main goal of this study is to highlight the occurrence of movement attempt patterns, mainly changes in oscillations called event-related desynchronization (ERD) and event-related synchronization (ERS), in the EEG signal over the motor cortex, in healthy subjects, without and under propofol sedation, during four different motor tasks.

Delirium is an acute cognitive disorder that presents with fluctuation in cognition, apathy, and non-organized thinking, resulting in increased morbidity, mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and total healthcare costs. In patients undergoing cardiac surgery, delirium also increases the risk of postoperative complications, such as respiratory insufficiency, sternum instability, and need for re-operation of the sternum. This study aims to understand the incidence of delirium in patients after cardiac surgery in patients sedated with remimazolam besylate versus propofol.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a gastrointestinal procedure that requires a relatively motionless patient during the intervention. Deep sedation by intravenous propofol combined with an opioid has recently become the preferred sedation technique. However, when high doses of propofol are used, side effects, namely respiratory depression, may occur. Esketamine has hypnotic, analgesic, and sympathomimetic effects. Our assumption is that a combination of propofol with esketamine reduces the dosage of individual drugs, thereby minimizing sedation side effects while keeping the same satisfaction level of patients and endoscopists.

Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is commonly performed as a life-saving procedure in the intensive care unit (ICU). It is often associated with significant hemodynamic perturbations and can severely impact the outcome of ICU patients. Etomidate is often chosen by many critical care providers for the patients who are hypotensive because of its superior hemodynamic profile compared to other induction medications. However, recent evidence has raised concerns about the increased incidence of adrenal insufficiency and mortality associated with etomidate use. A combination of ketamine and propofol (known as ketofol) has been studied in various settings as an alternative induction agent. In recent years, studies have shown that this combination may provide adequate sedation while maintaining hemodynamic stability, based on the balancing of the hemodynamic effects of these two individual agents. We hypothesized that ketofol may offer a valuable alternative to etomidate in critically ill patients with or without hemodynamic instability.

Obesity is associated with a chronic systemic inflammatory process. Volatile or intravenous anesthetic agents may modulate immune function, and may do so differentially in obesity. However, no study has evaluated whether these potential immunomodulatory effects differ according to type of anesthesia in obese patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

Emergence agitation (EA) after general anesthesia is a common complication in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Once EA occurs, there are still no guidelines established for the treatment in adults. Propofol is excessively used in managing agitated patients in the PACU, but it lacks analgesia and can result in apnea. Intraoperative infusion of dexmedetomidine has been proven to have a preventive effect on EA, but the treatment effect of dexmedetomidine on EA remains unknown. This study aims to compare the effects between dexmedetomidine and propofol on relieving EA in adult patients after general anesthesia in the PACU.

Tussis, which increases the incidence of airway spasm, aspiration, nausea, and vomiting, is a common complication faced during upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. However, sedatives and analgesics exhibit inhibitory actions against airway reflexes to different degrees. Our assumption is a combination of propofol and small doses of sufentanil, esketamine, or lidocaine, especially the combination of propofol and esketamine, might reduce tussis incidence.

Although used extensively worldwide, the effects of general anaesthesia on the human brain remain largely elusive. Moreover, general anaesthesia may contribute to serious conditions or adverse events such as postoperative cognitive dysfunction and delirium. To understand the basic mechanisms of general anaesthesia, this project aims to study and compare possible de novo neuroplastic changes induced by two commonly used types of general anaesthesia, i.e. inhalation anaesthesia by sevoflurane and intravenously administered anaesthesia by propofol. In addition, we wish to to explore possible associations between neuroplastic changes, neuropsychological adverse effects and subjective changes in fatigue and well-being.

Advancements in virtual reality (VR) technology have resulted in its expansion into health care. Preliminary studies have found VR to be effective as an adjunct to anesthesia to reduce pain and anxiety for patients during upper gastrointestinal endoscopies, dental procedures and joint arthroplasties. Current standard care practice for upper extremity surgery includes a combination of regional anesthesia and intraoperative propofol sedation. Commonly, patients receive deep propofol sedation during these cases, leading to potentially avoidable risks of over-sedation, hypotension, upper airway obstruction, and apnea. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of VR technology to promote relaxation for patients undergoing upper extremity surgery, thereby reducing intraoperative anesthetic requirements and improving the perioperative patient experience.

The use of a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in appropriate patients supports fast-track anesthesia with a lower incidence of postoperative airway-connected adverse events. Data on the most favorable anesthetic in this context, with the lowest rate of upper airway complications and fast emergence times, are controversial and limited. Desflurane seems to match these criteria best, but large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a standardized study protocol are lacking. Therefore, we aim to compare desflurane with other commonly used anesthetics, sevoflurane and propofol, in a sufficiently powered RCT. We hypothesize that desflurane is noninferior regarding the frequency of upper airway events and superior regarding the emergence times to sevoflurane and propofol.

Anesthetic agents are mandatory in colorectal cancer patients undergoing surgery. Studies published so far have shown that anesthetic drugs and intervention may have different impacts on patient's outcome. Among these drugs, propofol and, more recently, local anesthetics have been mostly targeted.

Postoperative delirium is common in elderly cardiac surgery patients. It is multifactorial and is influenced by the patient's baseline status and the nature of the medical and surgical interventions that the patient receives. Some of these factors are potentially modifiable, including postoperative sedation and analgesia protocols. This study has been designed to evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative intravenous acetaminophen in conjunction with either dexmedetomidine or propofol in decreasing the incidence of delirium.

Sedatives are administered to 85% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The most commonly used sedatives are intravenous benzodiazepines and propofol. These agents are associated with over-sedation in 40 to 60% of patients, which can lead to prolonged intubation, delirium and drug-induced hypotension. Evidence is increasing that volatile anesthetic agents are associated with faster extubation times, improved cardiovascular stability with no end-organ toxicity in comparison to our standard intravenous agents for short-term critical care sedation. Use of volatile agents within the ICU is a novel technique using a specialized delivery and scavenging system, which requires staff training and cultural acceptance. This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to assess the safety and feasibility of delivering volatile agents for long-term patient sedation in the ICU with limited or no experience of this technique.