Details

Thiopental is a barbiturate. Thiopental slows the activity of your brain and nervous system. Thiopental is used to help you relax before you receive general anaesthesia with an inhaled medication. You should not use thiopental if you have porphyria, liver or kidney disease, severe anaemia, myasthenia gravis, asthma, a thyroid disorder, or Addison's disease. To make sure thiopental is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have severe heart disease pituitary gland disorder a pancreas disorder head injury, brain tumour, or other condition that causes increased pressure inside the skull problems with the muscles in or around your eyes or if you take a blood thinner.

Typical Uses

Thiopental, a barbiturate, is used for the induction of anaesthesia prior to the use of other general anaesthetic agents and for induction of anaesthesia for short surgical, diagnostic, or therapeutic procedures associated with minimal painful stimuli. Thiopental is an ultrashort-acting depressant of the central nervous system which induces hypnosis and anaesthesia, but not analgesia. It produces hypnosis within 30 to 40 seconds of intravenous injection.

Side Effects

Common thiopental side effects may include ongoing drowsiness weak or shallow breathing slow heartbeats chills or shivering sneezing, coughing, tight feeling in your throat or bronchospasm (wheezing, chest tightness, trouble breathing).

Drug Interactions

• Thiopental+anisindione- Thiopental can reduce the blood levels of anisindione, which may make the medication less effective in preventing blood clots. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.
• Thiopental+dicumarol- Thiopental can reduce the blood levels of dicumarol, which may make the medication less effective in preventing blood clots. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.
• Thiopental+ethanol- Ask your doctor before using thiopental together with ethanol, this can add to dizziness, drowsiness and other side effects of thiopental. Be careful if you drive or do activities that require you to be awake and alert. Talk with your doctor before using any medications together, or drinking alcohol with thiopental.
• Thiopental+phenelzine- Before getting anaesthesia with thiopental, tell your doctor if you are taking phenelzine. Using these medications together may significantly affect your blood pressure. In some cases, your doctor may want you to stop taking phenelzine for 10 to 14 days before you undergo surgery.

Mechanism of action

Thiopental sodium belongs to a class of drugs called barbiturates. It works by depressing the central nervous system, causing mild sedation or sleep, depending on the dose.

Pregnancy Category : C