frequently asked questions

While Ivaoes Animal Health does not sell Rapanofal® (propofol) directly to veterinarians, for questions about product availability, please call 1-844-243-4968.

Rapanofal® (propofol) is approved for the anesthetic injection of dogs and cats as follows:

1. As a single injection to provide general anesthesia for short procedures.
2. For induction and maintenance of general anesthesia using incremental doses to effect.
3. For induction of general anesthesia where maintenance is provided by inhalant anesthetics.

Rapanofal® (propofol) is supplied in cartons of five-20mL vials.

Rapanofal® (propofol) is administered intravenously. 

Rapanofal® (propofol) should be stored between 4-25 degrees Celsius (40-77 degrees Fahrenheit).  Do not freeze.

After a Rapanofal® (propofol) vial is opened (pierced), administration should commence promptly and be completed within 6 hours.  Any unused product should be discarded within 6 hours.  

Because Rapanofal® (propofol) does not contain preservatives, once the vial is opened (pierced) the product may develop an off-white to yellow color upon being exposed to air for more than 6 hours.

Anesthetic induction and maintenance guidelines for use of Rapanofal® (propofol) in dogs and cats are found in the package insert.

Please consult the package insert that describes the proper use of Rapanofal® (propofol) in combination with other preanesthetic medications.

Use of Rapanofal® (propofol) for the induction of anesthesia should be titrated against the response of the patient over approximately 60 to 90 seconds or until clinical signs show the onset of anesthesia.  If Rapanofal® (propofol) is injected too slowly (greater than 90 seconds), an inadequate plane of anesthesia can occur.  If this occurs, an additional low dose (1.1 mg/kg) of propofol may be administered to facilitate intubation or the transition to inhalant maintenance anesthesia.

Rapid administration or accidental overdosage of Rapanofal® injection may cause neurologic and cardiopulmonary depression. Respiratory arrest (apnea) may be observed.

1. In cases of respiratory depression, stop drug administration, establish a patent airway, and initiate assisted or controlled ventilation with oxygen.
2. Cardiovascular depression should be treated with plasma expanders, pressor agents, antiarrhythmic agents or other techniques as appropriate for the observed abnormality.
3. In feline safety studies using healthy cats and elevated doses of propofol, unexplained decreases in albumin, globulin, and total protein values were noted. Increases in bile acids and triglycerides were also noted and were probably due to the lipid content of the drug formulation. These transient changes were not clinically significant in healthy cats.

Rapanofal® (propofol) is not an antimicrobially preserved product under USP standards.  Any unused product should be discarded within 6 hours.

Rapanofal® (propofol) should be stored between 4-25 degrees Celsius (40-77 degrees Fahrenheit).  Do not freeze.

Strict aseptic technique must always be maintained during handling. Rapanofal® (propofol injectable emulsion) is a single access parenteral product (single patient infusion vial) that contains sodium metabisulfite (0.25 mg/mL) to retard the rate of growth of microorganisms, for up to 12 hours, in the event of accidental extrinsic contamination. However, propofol injectable emulsion can still support the growth of microorganisms, as it is not an antimicrobially preserved product under USP standards. Do not use if contamination is suspected. Any unused product should be discarded within 6 hours. There have been reports in which failure to use aseptic technique when handling propofol injectable emulsion was associated with microbial contamination of the product and with fever, infection/sepsis, other life-threatening illness, and/or death. 

To report suspected adverse drug events, call 1-888-621-0189.

Accidental perivascular injection of Rapanofal® (propofol) does not result in irritation or tissue reaction. 

1. Pain on intravenous injection is common in people but is rarely recognized in animals.
   • • It does not result in a local inflammatory reaction.
     • It may be more likely when propofol is injected into smaller veins.
2. Contact of this product with skin, eyes, and clothes should be avoided. If contact occurs, skin and eyes should be liberally flushed with water for 15 minutes. If irritation develops and continues, consult a physician.