Abstract

AMABILE-CUEVAS, Carlos F; LEPE-MANCILLA, José  and  MUNOZ-CUEVAS, Juan Heberto. The inhibitory effect of EDTA on microbial growth in propofol suspensions. Rev. mex. anestesiol. [online]. 2019, vol.42, n.2, pp.104-110.  Epub Mar 30, 2020. ISSN 0484-7903.

Commercially available propofol suspensions, due to their pharmaceutical composition, support the growth of several microorganisms; the administration of propofol suspensions that became microbially-contaminated after being removed from their original vial, has been linked to postsurgical infections. Addition of ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA) salts delays the growth of such microorganisms. Here, we compared the growth of seven bacterial strains and three yeast strains, along 48 hours and at three different incubation temperatures (room temperature, 35 and 42 oC), in four propofol formulations available in Mexico, one of them with supplemented EDTA. Consistently, microbial growth was diminished in the formulation supplemented with EDTA, compared to the other three, although with variations between microorganisms and incubation temperatures: from initial reduction in viable organisms, to complete and sustained growth inhibition, to only partial growth inhibition. While the addition of EDTA to propofol suspensions must not be considered as a substitute for aseptic handling of the drug, it certainly diminishes microbial growth that can occur after accidental contamination, reducing the infection risk for the patient.

Keywords : Propofol; EDTA; microbial contamination; postoperative infection.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )