Diprivan - not for home use!

Apparently, Diprivan has been found at the former home of the late Michael Jackson. This story is becoming more tragic by the day.

Diprivan, also known generically as propofol, is a powerful intravenous anesthestic agent. In the right hands, it is a useful drug, permitting anesthesia with a low incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. In the wrong hands, however, it can be dangerous.

In small doses, diprivan causes sedation. In larger doses, it can induce unconsciousness, and a state of general anesthesia. And a distinct lack of breathing, which can permanently ruin your day.

Sometimes, the same dose in one person will give a different response in another person. Or a slight increase in the dose can push the patient from mere sedation to complete unconsciousness. So, the physician administering propofol needs to know how to monitor and maintain the patient's airway - which might include intubating the patient. This is everyday stuff for a trained anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist.

There is no way that this drug has any legitimate use outside of a controlled medical setting like the OR or ICU, and certainly no way it should be in a private residence.