J. M. Dumonceau, A. Riphaus, J. R. Aparicio et al. European Society of Gastrointestinal
Endoscopy, European Society of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Nurses and Associates,
and the European Society of Anaesthesiology Guideline: Non-anesthesiologist administration
of propofol for GI endoscopy
In the December 2010 issue of the European Journal of Anaesthesiology, members of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE), the European
Society of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Nurses and Associates (ESGENA), and the
European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) published a guideline on non-anaesthesiologist
administration of propofol for gastrointestinal endoscopy [1]. This report was published simultaneously in the journal Endoscopy [2]. Following evaluation of the scientific evidence by the ESA guidelines committee,
the Board of Directors of the ESA decided unanimously to endorse the report. However,
following their publication, a majority of the national societies of the ESA felt
unable to support this guideline [3]. Subsequently, an invited Commentary issued by official representatives of the ESA
and published in the European Journal of Anaesthesiology tried to put the guidelines and their implications into context [4]. Despite these efforts, the majority of the active members present and voting at
the ESA General Assembly, held in Amsterdam on June 15th, 2011, approved the motion
to retract the endorsement. Consequently, the ESA hereby retracts its endorsement
of this guideline.
