Propofol and PET scan

Q: Propofol should be discontinued in patients going for Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography(PET) scan at least? (select one)

A) 48 hours prior
B) 24 hours prior
C) 6 hours prior
D) 30 minutes prior
E) It does not have any effect and can be continued 



Answer: D

Propofol interferes with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake and should be discontinued at least 30 minutes prior to PET scan. Propofol depresses glucose disappearance from the blood stream without affecting plasma insulin secretion. This depression is induced by accumulating free fatty acid due to lipids in propofol infusion.

#pharmacology



Reference:

Zhongjin Y, Minji C, Ammar A, et al. (2017) Impact of Sevoflurane and Propofol Anesthesia on Quality of [18F] FDG-PET Scan Image. SOJ Anesthesiol Pain Manag. 4(2): 1-4.