Definition

Noun: * A fast-acting barbiturate derivative, specifically the sodium salt of thiopental, used primarily as an ultra-short-acting general anesthetic and sedative. It is known for its rapid onset and short duration of action when administered intravenously.

Usage

• Medical Context: Used almost exclusively in controlled medical settings (e.g., surgery, intensive care) to induce anesthesia, provide sedation, or control convulsions.
  • The anesthesiologist administered sodium thiopental to induce unconsciousness before the surgery.
  • Due to its properties, sodium thiopental has been used in some jurisdictions for lethal injection.

Advanced Usage

• "Truth Serum": Historically and informally, sodium thiopental has been referred to as a "truth serum" due to its disinhibiting effects at sub-anesthetic doses, though its reliability for this purpose is medically and legally disputed.
  • The use of sodium thiopental as a so-called truth serum is not considered scientifically valid.

Variants and Related Words

• Thiopental (Noun): The parent barbiturate drug; "sodium thiopental" is its sodium salt formulation.
• Pentothal (Noun): A former brand name for sodium thiopental, now often used as a generic term.
• Barbiturate (Noun): The class of central nervous system depressant drugs to which sodium thiopental belongs.

Synonyms

• Anesthetic agent: A substance that induces anesthesia.
• Sedative-hypnotic: A drug that depresses the central nervous system to calm or induce sleep.

Related Phrases

• Induction agent: A drug used to rapidly induce a state of general anesthesia.
• Ultra-short-acting barbiturate: A technical description of its pharmacological duration.

Noun

1. a long-acting barbiturate used as a sedative