CHICAGO, July 4 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to breaking news of drugs reportedly found at the scene of Michael Jackson's death, the American Society of Anesthesiologists releases the following statement:

"The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), which is made up of

physicians providing professional anesthesia care, does not know the specific circumstances surrounding Michael Jackson's death. However, the ASA unequivocally maintains that Diprivan, or its generic name Propofol, is a drug meant only for use in a medical setting by professionals trained in the provision of general anesthesia. Though the drug is often used for procedures requiring sedation, patients can have extremely variable responses to the drug and some patients can become completely nesthetized, including losing the ability to breath. Diprivan should never be used outside of a controlled and monitored medical setting. Use of the drug should be directly supervised by a physician trained in anesthesia and qualified to provide physiologic rescue should too much drug be given."

About Anesthesiologists

Anesthesiologists are physicians who make modern medicine possible. Every day, their practice enables life-saving care across a broad range of specialties when patients need it most. Anesthesiologists are responsible for the total care of the patient prior to, during and after surgery by keeping patients stable and safe through the administration of anesthesia,

the monitoring of vital signs and body functions, and intervention during an emergency. Anesthesiologists have developed leading medical advances that have allowed modern medicine to become what it is today. Without advances in anesthesia many surgical procedures, such as transplants, cardiac surgery and brain surgery, would not be as

advanced as they are currently.

About the ASA

Anesthesiologists: Physicians providing the lifeline of modern medicine. Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational, research and scientific association with 43,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient. For more information visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists Web site at

www.asahq.org.

SOURCE American Society of Anesthesiologists