June 25, 2009, was an ordinary day until the shocking news of Michael Jackson’s untimely death, or as many would have him known, “The King of Pop.” He was killed in violation of homicide laws. Later, the pop star’s doctor, Dr Conrad Murray, was held accountable for prescribing the drugs that ultimately led to his death and was found guilty in court. According to an autopsy, acute propofol intoxication was the main factor in his demise. What drug, then, did Michael Jackson use to end his life? Let’s find out!
The pop star, under increasing pressure to prepare for his comeback tour, lamented that the previous night he was unable to sleep. Dr Conrad Murray gave him a number of sedatives, and the pop star was later discovered unconscious. While being transported to the hospital, Michael Jackson was found to be in cardiac arrest and not breathing. For more than an hour, efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. Dr. Murray was sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in 2011, but he only served two before being released on parole. Ephedrine, lidocaine, and diazepam were among the additional drugs discovered after Michael’s autopsy. Authorities accuse Murray of leaving the pop star unattended while giving him a large dose of propofol to help him fall asleep. The doctor overdosed on a strong anaesthetic, the doctor’s defence team claims. The pop star died from acute propofol intoxication, according to the Los Angeles County coroner.
What Drug Killed Michael Jackson?
At his home on North Carolwood Drive in the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Holmby Hills, American singer Michael Jackson passed away on June 25, 2009, from acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication. The short-acting medication propofol makes a person unconscious during general anaesthesia for surgery and other medical procedures by reducing their nervous system activity. Propofol is a white, oozy solution that needs to be chilled before use and is insoluble in water. It is also known as the “milk of anaesthesia.” The mixture’s components include glycerol, soybean oil, and fats derived from egg yolks. Because people with egg allergies are allergic to proteins rather than the fat in eggs, propofol is frequently regarded as safe for them.
However, there is a chance of an allergic reaction. Most people had never heard of propofol before the pop star’s case because it was primarily used by anesthesiologists. Propofol is frequently used as an induction agent because of its capacity to cause unconsciousness. Additionally, it is given to patients undergoing outpatient surgery in smaller doses for conscious sedation.
Propofol Use as a Sodium Thiopental replacement
Sodium thiopental, a conventional barbiturate that is no longer available on the market, was replaced by propofol as an induction agent. People are frequently executed with fatal injections of sodium thiopental. As a result, some nations and organisations opposed to the death penalty have increased pressure on suppliers through various means, including the legal system. For general anaesthesia, anesthesiologists administer large doses of propofol, typically between 100 and 200 ml, followed by smaller doses continuously based on a patient’s body weight in micrograms per minute. A local anaesthetic, such as lidocaine, is injected first before propofol to ease the pain experienced by the patient as the medication is infused into their vein. Propofol lowers blood pressure and restricts breathing, so patients need to be monitored constantly and shouldn’t be left unattended.
Propofol for Mild Sedation
Because it induces a sleepy, unconscious state in people, propofol is occasionally used for outpatient surgery. It has a five to ten-minute duration of action and typically wears off quickly. It neither induces nausea nor vomiting. A patient might later experience a slight loss of memory.
Like any other drug, propofol has the potential to be abused by people, and in some cases, this can result in lethal overdoses. Courtney Wilson, Peter Canning, and E. Martin Cavarati, emergency medicine specialists at the University of Utah, conducted research studies on volunteers to see if propofol could induce pleasant dreams in anaesthetic patients. Additionally, it has pleasant effects, and the sensational feeling is accounted for as being in a high or drunken state. Additionally, they mentioned that people could become propofol-tolerant and might need to take more of the drug to feel high. Due to its short-acting nature, which causes it to wear off quickly, its illegal use is easier to conceal. According to a search of the medical literature, there were 45 documented cases of propofol abuse between 1992 and 2009, of which 40 involved medical professionals and 18 resulted in fatalities. 18% of the samples of abuse of propofol had occurred in the ten years between 1995 and 2005, according to a survey from Academic Anesthesiology Training Programmes. Since propofol is a controlled substance just like any other strong anaesthetic, its use should be governed.
