Powerful anesthetic reportedly found in Jackson’s home

A powerful anesthetic, Propofol, was found by investigators in the home of Michael Jackson, ABC news reported in television broadcasts Friday.

The drug, which goes by the trade name Diprivan, is used for general anesthesia of adults and children in painful medical and dental procedures. It is only supposed to be used under the direct supervision of a doctor, and is more powerful than Oxycontin or the narcotic painkiller Demerol.

An NIH study has linked it to some deaths.

The drug is given intravenously. Abuse, according to the study, is generally limited to those who have easy access to anesthetics, and can be addictive.

News that Jackson was using Propofol was reported Wednesday by the celebrity website TMZ. A followup article on MTV.com says Jackson was using the drug as a sleep aid, though doctors quoted questioned its use for such a purpose.

“This is only meant for use in anesthesia and [administering it as a sleep aid] it’s like giving someone chemotherapy so they don’t have to shave their head,” said veteran anesthesiologist Dr. John F. Dombrowski, who has not treated Jackson but has used often Propofol in his practice, was quoted as saying. “It’s one purpose is as an anesthetic, to induce that sleepy feeling and when I run it as an IV drip I can keep you asleep and when I turn it off you are quickly awake. It works in 30 seconds or so and it is out of your system quickly when I turn it off.”

“Dr. Dombrowski said the drug is so powerful that it is critical to have someone in attendance who has the ability to rescue you should your breathing cease or some other critical failure occur, which is why the drug is only used in operating rooms and in doctor’s offices where providers are on hand to support patients and intervene should something go wrong,” the story added. “It is never used outside a medical setting during a procedure,” he said. “And it is never used as a sleeping aid. I’ve never heard of that in my 16 years of practice.”

“A spokesperson for the drug’s provider, APP Pharmaceuticals, confirmed that it is only available to medical professionals,” the story added. “The widely used drug is used primarily for outpatient surgical procedures because it is very fast acting, typically knocking the patient out within 30 seconds.”

The cause of Michael Jackson’s death remains unclear, but reports have said that he suffered slowed breathing before cardiac arrest on the day he died last week.

ABC’s full story is now available here.

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