BARBITURATES AS SPINAL ANESTHETICS

Four barbiturates, namely, pentobarbital, secobarbital, barbital, and thiopental (0.05 ml. of 5 per cent/kgm.), have been used as spinal anesthetics in dogs. These compounds produced complete spinal block persisting approximately the same length of time as resulted from the same volume of 2 per cent procaine solution. No undesirable side effects, either during or after the anesthesia, were observed. It is suggested that these compounds should not be used intrathecally in man for complications have been reported following spinal anesthesia with barbiturates in man.