BACKGROUND Previous evidence from laboratory animal studies indicates that R-thiopental has a greater margin of safety than either the more potent S-thiopental or the clinically used rac-thiopental. Although thiopental can cause cardiovascular depression from direct myocardial effects as well as indirect central nervous system and peripheral effects, no studies have yet determined whether its m...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Thiopental has been shown to protect against cerebral ischemic damage; however, it has undesirable side effects. We have examined how thiopental alters histological, physiological, and biochemical changes during and after hypoxia. These experiments should enable the discovery of agents that share some of the beneficial effects of thiopental. METHODS We made intracellula...

The spinal cord mediates most of the immobilizing action of inhaled anesthetics. In the present study we investigated whether spinal or supraspinal sites mediate the immobilizing action of thiopental in rats. Thiopental was administered IV, intrathecally (IT), intracerebroventricularly (ICV), or simultaneously IT and ICV. Only the IV infusion produced anesthesia, defined as immobility in respon...

The cardiovascular effects of ketamine hydrochloride and thiopental sodium were studied in 11 dogs. During anesthesia, mean heart rate rose to 185 beats/min with ketamine and 147 beats/min with thiopental. Cardiac output was increased with ketamine but unchanged by thiopental. The maximum first derivative of the left ventricular pressure (dP/dt max) fell by 14% with thiopental but did not chang...

BACKGROUND Recent studies suggest that anesthetics such as isoflurane act in the spinal cord to suppress movement that occurs during noxious stimulation. The authors examined the effect of halothane and thiopental on suppression of noxious-evoked movement using a model of differential anesthetic delivery. They hypothesized that halothane and thiopental, similar to isoflurane, would suppress mov...

OBJECTIVE The potassium disturbance associated with thiopental continuous infusion in neurosurgical patients is well known. However, the effect of propofol continuous infusion on serum potassium levels has not been investigated extensively. METHODS We reviewed the medical records of 60 consecutive patients who received coma therapy or deep sedation for intracranial pressure control using eith...

BACKGROUND There is conflicting evidence concerning the extent to which the intravenous general anesthetic thiopental acts by enhancing inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid-mediated (GABAergic) synaptic transmission or by inhibiting excitatory glutamatergic transmission. Yet there are remarkably few studies on the effects of thiopental on functional synapses. In addition, the degree of stereosele...

Novel miniaturized polyurethane (PU) membrane sensors in an all-solid state graphite support were developed, electrochemically evaluated and used for the assay of thiopental drug. The thiopental (T) sensors are based on the formation of ion-association complexes of thiopental with copper(II) and cobalt(II)-bathophenanthroline (bphen) counter anions as electroactive materials dispersed in a poly...

BACKGROUND Barbiturate coma is used in patients with traumatic brain injury whenever increases in intracranial pressure remain unresponsive to less aggressive therapeutic regimens. However, barbiturate-mediated neuroprotection correlates with lymphopenia, which increases the risk of infection. The mechanisms by which barbiturates lead to lymphopenia remain to be determined. METHODS Freshly is...

OBJECTIVES Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered to be one of the most effective treatments in psychiatry. Currently, three medications for anesthesia are used routinely during ECT: propofol, etomidate, and thiopental. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the anesthetics used in ECT on seizure threshold and duration, hemodynamics, recovery from ECT, and immediate s...