Ketamine and Propofol Combination Versus Propofol for Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Propofol is one of the most popular anesthetic drugs used for sedation during upper gastrointestinal endoscopies due to its quick onset and quick resolution of symptoms allowing patients to leave the hospital sooner. However, when administered it can also slow the breathing of patients and cause others to have upper airway obstruction (such as snoring) which can impede proper spontaneous breathing. Ketamine is an agent that is capable of providing both pain control and sedation while having either minimal effect on breathing or promoting spontaneous breathing. Combining Ketamine with Propofol has the potential to reduce the total amount of Propofol used resulting in a procedure being performed under the same level of sedation but without the downside of reduced spontaneous breathing. Patients who are obese (defined as body mass index greater than 35) tend to be even more susceptible to this effect of Propofol. The researchers are investigating whether the addition of Ketamine will indeed allow for this continued comfortable level of sedation while promoting continued spontaneous breathing in obese patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopies.