Table 1 Effect of propofol on mortality in the overall population and subgroups

Overall population

760/14,754 (5.2%)

682/16,003 (4.3%)

1.10 (1.01–1.20)

0.03

0

Subgroup analyses

Cardiac surgery vs. non-cardiac surgery vs. intensive care unit

 Surgical

294/11,617 (2.5%)

241/12,650 (1.9%)

1.21 (1.04–1.41)

0.01

0

  Cardiac surgery

118/2,591 (4.6%)

83/2,927 (2.8%)

1.46 (1.13–1.89)

0.004

0

  Non-cardiac surgery

176/9,026 (1.9%)

158/9,723 (1.6%)

1.09 (0.90–1.31)

0.39

0

 Intensive care unit

466/3,137 (15%)

441/3,353 (13%)

1.04 (0.93–1.16)

0.50

0

Adult vs. pediatric^§

 Adult

690/14,044 (4.9%)

628/15,312 (4.1%)

1.10 (1.00–1.21)

0.04

0

 Pediatric

70/710 (9.9%)

54/691 (7.8%)

1.12 (0.83–1.52)

0.46

24

Comparator: volatile anesthesia vs. total intravenous anesthesia vs. miscellaneous^§

 Volatile anesthesia

251/9,186 (2.7%)

197/9,764 (2.0%)

1.25 (1.06–1.47)

0.009

11

 Total intravenous anesthesia

438/4,900 (8.9%)

420/5,161 (8.1%)

1.03 (0.92–1.15)

0.65

0

 Miscellanea

71/668 (11%)

65/1,078 (6.0%)

1.13 (0.86–1.48)

0.37

31

Bolus use of propofol in the comparator arm*

 Yes

146/4,076 (3.6%)

105/4,635 (2.3%)

1.33 (0.82–2.16)

0.26

64

 No

586/9,376 (6.3%)

567/10,567 (5.4%)

1.03 (0.94–1.14)

0.50

0

Large vs. small^§

 Large (≥ 500 patients)

107/2,918 (3.7%)

74/2,915 (2.5%)

1.45 (1.10–1.92)

0.009

0

 Small (< 500 patients)

653/11,836 (5.5%)

608/13,088 (4.6%)

1.06 (0.97–1.16)

0.23

0

High vs. low mortality in the comparator arm^§

 High (≥ 4.5%)

646/3,193 (20%)

599/3,214 (19%)

1.06 (0.97–1.17)

0.20

0

 Low (< 4.5%)

114/11,561 (1.0%)

682/16,003 (0.6%)

1.35 (1.03–1.76)

0.03

0

Exclusion of high risk of bias studies^§

662/12,990 (5.1%)

586/14,057 (4.2%)

1.12 (1.02–1.23)

0.02

0