What kind of drug is barbiturates?
Barbiturates are a group of drugs in the class of drugs known as sedative-hypnotics, which generally describes their sleep-inducing and anxiety-decreasing effects. Barbiturates can be extremely dangerous because the correct dose is difficult to predict. Even a slight overdose can cause coma or death.
How do barbiturates work?
Barbiturates increase the activity of a chemical in the brain that helps transmit signals. This chemical is known as gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). As a medication, they reduce muscle spasms, relieve anxiety, prevent seizures, and induce sleep.
Why is sodium carbonate added to thiopentone?
Thiopentone is supplied in sealed ampoules containing the dry powdered sodium salt and 6 per cent. by weight of sodium carbonate. This addition ensures that solutions of the drug will be alkaline and makes certain that the insoluble thiobarbituric acid will not precipitate out.
When is thiopental used?
Thiopental sodium is used for the induction of general anaesthesia and is also used as an adjunct to provide hypnosis during balanced anaesthesia with other anaesthetic agents, including analgesics and muscle relaxants.
Why is thiopental short acting?
As with all lipid-soluble anaesthetic drugs, the short duration of action of sodium thiopental is due almost entirely to its redistribution away from central circulation into muscle and fatty tissue, due to its very high lipid–water partition coefficient (approximately 10), leading to sequestration in fatty tissue.
What are barbiturates side effects?
According to MedicineNet, potential side effects of barbiturates include:
- Lightheadedness.
- Onset of dizziness.
- Sedative effects.
- Nausea.
- Abdominal pain.
- Vomiting.
Why do physicians favor benzodiazepines over barbiturates?
This class of medications quickly gained favor over the barbiturates because of their more favorable safety profile yet comparable efficacy as an anxiolytic and for reducing sleep onset latency. Compared with barbiturates, BZDs result in less respiratory depression and a higher therapeutic index.