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High‐dose barbiturate therapy in humans: A clinical review of 60 patients
Author(s) -
Rockoff Mark A.,
Marshall Lawrence F.,
Shapiro Harvey M.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410060303
Subject(s) - barbiturate , medicine , intensive care medicine , anesthesia
Over the past three years, high‐dose barbiturate therapy has been used in the treatment of 60 patients with head injury (N = 45), encephalitis (N = 8), acute focal cerebral ischemia (stroke, N = 4), and global anoxia secondary to drowning (N = 3). High‐dose barbiturates appear to be useful adjuncts in the control of intracranial hypertension refractory to other methods of therapy. Administration of barbiturates to patients with this problem will often reduce the requirement for osmotic agents, thereby facilitating medical management by avoiding hyperosmolality and fluid and electrolyte depletion. In a carefully controlled intensive care setting the risk of barbiturate therapy is low, though the costs and demands on personnel are great. Survival appeared to be improved in patients with head injury and encephalitis. Although the ultimate outcome was not altered in patients with stroke or near‐drowning, intracranial hypertension did not occur until barbiturate therapy was withdrawn. This experience provides an ethical basis to justify further randomized studies for determining whether or not barbiturates materially improve the neurological outcome following cerebral ischemic and traumatic insults.