Sodium thiopental (also called sodium pentothal (™ of Abbott Laboratories), thiopental (or thiopentone) sodium) is a rapid-onset, short-acting barbiturate general anesthetic.

It induces general anaesthesia within 60 seconds of intravenous injection and lasts around 10-30 minutes. Up until fairly recently it was the most popular anesthetic induction agent in many parts of the world. However, in recent years it has been overtaken by propofol, particularly for day surgery.

Thiopental has no analgesic effects so it is only used as a single agent for brief procedures. More commonly, it is used to induce anesthesia prior to the use of other anesthetic agents. It is also a neuroprotective agent and was used in narcotherapy.

As with nearly all anaesthetic drugs, thiopental causes cardiovascular and respiratory depression resulting in hypotension, apnea and airway obstruction. For these reasons, only anesthesiologists and other suitably trained doctors should give thiopental in an environment suitably equipped to deal with these effects. Side effects include head ache, emergence delirium, prolonged somnolence and nausea. The hangover effects may last up to 36 hours.

Its structural name is sodium 5-ethyl-5-(1-methylbutyl)-2-thiobarbiturate, empirically it is NaSC₁₁H₁₇O₂N₂. It was discovered in 1936 by Ernest H. Volwiler and Donalee L. Tabern, working for Abbott Laboratories. It was famously associated with a number of anaesthetic deaths in victims of the Pearl Harbor invasion. These deaths, relatively soon after its discovery, were due to excessive doses given to shocked trauma patients.

Along with pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride thiopental is used in some States of the US as part of the lethal injection. In the past it was claimed as a truth drug.

External links

• Scienceweb.org: Sodium Pentothal (http://www.scienceweb.org/tv/highincident.html)