The results confirm a trend towards propofol as an agent of choice. In 1989 propofol was approved in Switzerland and initially used around 2000 by non-anaesthesiologists for gastro-intestinal endoscopy and FB [
15,
20]. Propofol has emerged as an appealing agent of choice: it is better tolerated by patients with a faster recovery time and a quicker return to baseline mental status [
21‐
24]. The novelty of the drug and individual familiarity with pre-existing regimens are also most likely to be the reasons for a lower proportion of late-career pulmonologists using propofol. Thus, the use of propofol is predicted to rise in the future (Fig.
4). It is important to keep in mind that in Switzerland, propofol is approved for use without the strict legal limitations that exist in some other countries. In particular, non-anaesthesiologists are allowed to use propofol provided they have had an adequate training for its use. For example at the University Hospital Zurich in agreement with the Institute of Anaesthesiology the following recommendations are given: First, the proceduralist should not be the same person who is administering the drug. Second, the patient should be adequately monitored (at least oxygen saturation and blood pressure). Lastly, the proceduralist and the drug administering person should be capable of airway management and emergency ventilation. The rate of proceduralist-administered propofol sedation of 84 % was also very high and, to our knowledge, the highest reported rate so far. However, worldwide the use of NAAP remains controversial since propofol lacks an available antagonist and its narrow therapeutic window between no sedation and deep sedation with apnoea warrants a formally trained physician. Gastroenterologists in Switzerland have shown that NAAP is safe, especially for gastro-intestinal endoscopy [
25]. In addition, other studies have shown that nurse-administered propofol is a feasible and safe sedative during FB [
26]. Nevertheless, the cooperation between anaesthesiologists and bronchoscopists remains crucial [
10]. Of those physicians who used propofol, 43 % reported that they were actively supported or trained by an anaesthesiologist at the time of the introduction of the drug. This is a very similar rate to Swiss gastroenterologists performing endoscopy [
17]. In general, our data suggest that propofol administration represents a safe sedation technique that can be performed by a non-anaesthesiologist [
23]. This aspect is particularly relevant since the advantages of propofol e.g. fast onset and high degree of controllability makes it a drug of choice for PSA during FB [
8].