Health Care Providers
Communicable Diseases, Epidemiology and Immunization
May 7, 2007
Health Advisory: Febrile Reactions in Patients Receiving Propofol Anesthetic
Action requested:
Be alert for nonrespiratory febrile illness in patients 6-18 hours after receiving propofol. Report cases to Public Health at 206-296-4774
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Background
This morning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified local health departments of 21 patients in Pennsylvania who developed nonrespiratory febrile illness beginning 6-18 hours after endoscopy.
The Pennsylvania Dept of Health (PDH) was contacted on Friday afternoon, May 4, 2007, by a health-care facility about febrile illnesses among 21 patients at two related endoscopy facilities in southeastern Pennsylvania. During a two-week period beginning April 24, routine follow-up phone calls to recently discharged patients by the medical facilities identified a nonrespiratory influenza-like illness with fever, chills, and aches beginning 6–18 hours after endoscopy and lasting 1–3 days. The two medical facilities observed that the first patient reactions were noted one day after each location started using a newly received lot of propofol from one supplier (20 ml multiuse vials of propofol lot # 968720, from Bedford Laboratories of Bedford, Ohio).
No etiology has been confirmed at this time and causes other than propofol contamination are possible. At this time, no other reports of similar illness have been received in Pennsylvania or Ohio. The FDA has been informed of the possible association and investigation is in progress.
Report cases of similar illness in patients receiving propofol to Public Health at 206-296-4774.
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