It remains the most widely used anesthetic in U.S. hospitals, but many patients still remember propofol as the drug that killed Michael Jackson.
Most are no longer afraid of it, doctors say, though many still ask if they will get"the Michael Jackson drug" before an operation. And most of them will.
Propofol was a noteworthy advance when it was launched in the late 1980s, but it almost didn't make it out of the lab. An early version caused allergic reactions. "It's quite safe in an anesthesiologist's hands," said Dr. Beverly Philip of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. There's little abuse in the general public. Almost all cases involve health care workers. They steal it at work to get a pleasant but dangerous high. At least 18 deaths were reported among medical professionals from 1992 to 2009.University of Utah psychiatrist Dr. Brian Mickey is studying propofol for depression in people who don't get relief from medications or psychotherapy.
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