Posts Tagged Propofol

Propofol: Highlight in Manslaughter Trial of Michael Jackson’s Doctor

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on September 27th, 2011

After hectic days of rehearsals in preparation for his marathon 50-night comeback tour, Michael Jackson turned to propofol to help him get much needed sleep. On June 25, 2009, he has his last dose.

Michael Jackson and Dr. Conrad Murray

The real reason why Michael Jackson died is still the center of discussions at the Superior Court in Los Angeles. His personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray, who managed his medications, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

The prosecution has questioned how Dr. Murray could administer a powerful drug such as propofol to the singer without stand-by lifesaving equipment. To make things worse, he left his patient in the room. When he returned, he found Jackson not breathing.

His defense team argues that the singer could have used the time when the doctor left to take more propofol as he was determined to go to sleep.

Dr. Gil Tepper from the Miracle Mile Medical Center in Los Angeles says propofol is used for short medical procedures such as colonoscopy or cataract surgery, but it certainly isn’t used to put patients, who are not scheduled for surgery, to sleep.

He added that if a doctor should use propofol on his patient, he would have to have have heart and blood oxygenation monitors as well as surgical equipment to do intubation in case the patient would stop breathing. Unfortunately, witnesses have claimed that no such equipment were with Dr. Murray at that time.

No Comments

Dr. Conrad Murray Claims Michael Jackson Begged for Drugs

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on January 12th, 2011

Dr. Conrad Murray, who has been accused of involuntary manslaughter for the death of King of Pop Michael Jackson, said he was pressured by Jackson to administer drugs to help him sleep. Jackson allegedly “begged” him for Propofol, according to a post in The Hollywood Gossip.

Michael Jackson Conrad MurrayDr. Murray was said to be giving Jackson regular doses of Propofol every night for months, but was trying to ween him off the powerful, hospital-grade anesthesia. The night before Jackson died, he had trouble sleeping and said he would cancel rehearsal if he didn’t get to sleep. Dr. Murray gave in and administered a reduced dose of Propofol after giving him a variety of other drugs after 1 AM without results.

Defense attorneys seem to be taking the path of showing that it was Jackson who caused his own death. Dr. Christopher Rogers, chief of forensic medicine for the Los Angeles County Coroner, however, testified that even if Jackson self-administered the drug that killed him, giving him a powerful anesthetic without proper precautions would still mean homicide for his physician. Dr. Rogers said, “The fact that there was propofol there in the first place — in other words, this is not a usual setting to administer propofol — and if there was propofol there, it was there to be administered to Mr. Jackson and so the doctor should be prepared for adverse effects.”

Tim Lopez, owner of Applied Pharmacy Services in Las Vegas, said that Dr. Murray, who said he had a clinic in the Los Angeles area, ordered 255 vials of Propofol between April 6 and June 10. Jackson died on June 25.

Dr. Murray could lose his medical license and face up to 4 years in jail if convicted.

No Comments

Propofol – the drug that might have killed Michael Jackson

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on August 14th, 2009

Propofol

Pop icon Michael Jackson’s death has shifted the attention of specialists and service providers in the field of addiction to a drug named propofol – a potent drug which was found in MJ’s home along with IV stands and oxygen tanks. Just three days prior to his death on 25th June, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists had warned the hospitals to restrict the availability of the drug since abuse of the drug amongst medical professionals is becoming a growing concern. Handling long shifts, stressful cases as well as easy access to drugs has fuelled the problem of drug addiction amongst them. 

Deprivan, the brand name under which the drug is sold, is a sedative used in hospital settings primarily for colonoscopies, cosmetic surgeries, bone repair and same-day knee surgery. The drug is administered intravenously and it works very quickly. According to Dr.Wischmeyer, “If you try to count backward from 100 after injecting it, you don’t get to 97.” It is also considered to be a clean drug since it clears the system very quickly. The drug is only safe for hospital patients and constant monitoring for “airway management” is a must to ensure that breathing does not stop.

The drug can bring a short but captivating high after the sedation wears off. Medical professionals have been using it as a recreational drug often for “pronapping” – a short rest induced by the drug. But gradually they get addicted to it requiring specialized intervention.

The standard drug tests cannot detect propofol and with a half-life of 5 minutes, it does not affect the behavior in a way that signals addiction. 

“Could propofol be the next OxyContin?” Some doctors say “no” since it is difficult to administer and only medical professionals can do it.

Should proponol be classified as a controlled substance? Please share your comments and views regarding the matter.

No Comments