European neurology
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Thiopental in CSF and serum correlates with prolonged loss of cortical activity.
Barbiturate coma is initiated in brain-injured patients whenever elevated intracranial pressure remains unresponsive to other therapeutical strategies. However, barbiturates alter cortical activity resulting in difficulties in clinical evaluation. ⋯ Prolonged unresponsiveness to exteroceptive stimuli correlates with persisting thiopental in CSF and serum. Thus, quantitative analysis of thiopental in serum becomes indispensable in predicting the length of drug-induced neurological impairment and in avoiding misinterpretation of the neurological status.