propofol

Propofol is used to begin and maintain general anesthesia (you are unconscious and unaware of what is happening) during surgery in adults and children. It is also used to provide sedation (you are relaxed, sleepy or in some cases asleep) in adults during surgical or other medical procedures. Propofol is also used to provide sedation for adults in intensive care units that are receiving mechanical ventilation (a machine that takes over the work of breathing). Propofol is in a class of medications called anesthetic agents. It works by changing the activity of certain substances in the brain.