title: High-dose barbiturates for intracranial pressure control.
abstract: Approximately 10% of severely head-injured patients will manifest elevated intracranial pressure uncontrollable by any currently known medical or surgical treatments, with a resulting mortality of > 90%. High-dose barbiturate therapy used in this setting has been shown to control intracranial pressure and reduce mortality in a small but definite number of patients. The pharmacologic, physiologic, and systemic effects of high-dose barbiturates must be fully appreciated, and appropriate clinical safeguards must be established when this therapy is implemented after severe head injury.
mesh_terms: D001463:Barbiturates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001463:Barbiturates; D010634:Phenobarbital