Body mass index, not weight, should be used to determine the amount of propofol administered to children, according to a study reported in Anesthesia & Analgesia.
The study, which focused on measuring the amount of the anesthetic given to obese children between ages three and 17, determined that using weight as the sole determinant could lead to overdosing. "Obese children [with a body mass index above the 95th percentile for age and gender] require a lower weight-based dose of propofol for induction of anesthesia, than do normal-weight children," researchers wrote.
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The study, which focused on measuring the amount of the anesthetic given to obese children between ages three and 17, determined that using weight as the sole determinant could lead to overdosing. "Obese children [with a body mass index above the 95th percentile for age and gender] require a lower weight-based dose of propofol for induction of anesthesia, than do normal-weight children," researchers wrote.
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