Thiopental

Summary

Thiopental is a short-acting barbiturate that’s mainly used for the induction of anesthesia. Its high lipid solubility allows for a rapid onset but also a short duration of activity, as the thiopental is redistributed from the brain into the muscle and fat. Thiopental has notable side effects such as respiratory and CNS depression.

Key Points

• Thiopental
  • Mechanism
    • Barbituate
      • These drugs work by activating the GABA channels in the brain, increasing the duration that the chloride channels remains open
    • High lipid solubility
      • Fast onset
        • Anesthetics must dissolve through lipid membranes in order to work, especially at the blood-brain barrier
      • Short duration of action
        • Because of redistribution into muscle and fat
  • Clinical Use
    • Used as an IV anesthetic
      • Thiopental’s fast onset and short duration of action make it useful in the induction of anesthesia
  • Side Effects
    • CNS depression
    • Respiratory depression