Myoclonic Movements Following Induction of Anesthesia with Propofol: A Case Report
Sasikaan Nimmaanrat MD, FRCAT, MMedPM*,
Affiliation : * Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla
Objective : To report a case of myoclonic movements during an induction of anesthesia using propofol. Abnor-
mal movements resulting from propofol are uncommon but there have been a number of such cases since
propofol was introduced.
Clinical features: An 11-year-old boy with a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea was scheduled to undergo
adenotonsillectomy. He demonstrated myoclonic movements during anesthetic induction using propofol. He
was then given isoflurane and his airway was secured with an endotracheal tube after full muscle relaxation
by succinylcholine. The anesthetic maintenance was uneventful as was the emergence. The patient recovered
smoothly without neurological deficit.
Conclusion : Propofol, an intravenous anesthetic, with strong evidence of anticonvulsant property, could, in
susceptible patients, under certain conditions, act as a proconvulsant, and should, thus, be avoided or
cautiously used in some patients.
Keywords : Anesthetics: Intravenous, Propofol; Complications: Myoclonic movements
