Safety of propofol sedation directed by endoscopists: how long should we continue to generate evidence?

The administration of propofol by endoscopists is a source of permanent friction with the Societies of Anesthesiology, which is based more on a clear conflict of economic interest on the part of the anesthesiologists than supported by scientific evidence. Maestro Antolin et al. (1) presented a series of more than 33,000 sedations performed with propofol by endoscopists, observing a frequency of cardiorespiratory adverse events of 0.13%. Rather than confrontation between different specialties, where the corporatism of the Anesthesiology Societies and their interest in monopolizing the use of a safe drug such as propofol prevails with no scientific support, anesthesiologists, endoscopists and nurses should instead work together for the benefit of our patients.