title: A Pilot Study of Cerebral and Hemodynamic Changes During Sedation with Low Dose of Thiopental Sodium or Propofol in Patients with Acute Brain Injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  One of the most important therapeutic maneuvers in head injury patients is to maintain Intracranial Pressure (ICP) and Cerebral Perfusion Pressure (CPP) within normal levels.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effects of low dose of thiopental sodium and propofol on reducing ICP and CPP in patients with head injury that scheduled for neurosurgical interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a randomized, crossover pilot study, we enrolled patients with head injury that scheduled for neurosurgical interventions admitted to ICU unit of a teaching hospital during 2010 to 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this pilot study, patients randomized into two equal groups. The first group received bolus injection of thiopental sodium 2 mg/kg and a maintenance dose of 2 mg/kg/h and the second group was given a bolus dose of propofol 0.5 mg/kg followed by propofol infusion 20 μg/kg/min. All of patients were given dexamethasone 8 mg at time of catheter insertion. ICP measurement catheter was inserted for each patient and ICP, CPP, SPO2 and MAP were recorded hourly for a period of 6 hours.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in sex and age between the two study groups (p>0.05). The mean ICP, CPP, SPO2 and arterial blood pressure were found to be similar with no significant difference between both groups (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both propofol and thiopental sodium were equally effective in monitoring and maintaining CPP and MAP and eventually an ideal SPO2.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Qazvin Medical University Science , Iran .
authors.forename: Siamak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yaghoobi
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Qazvin Medical University Science , Iran .
authors.forename: Marzieh Beigom
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Khezri
authors.affiliation: MS in Critical Care Nursing, Department of Critical Care Unit, Rajaei Hospital, Qazvin University of Medical Science , Qazvin, Iran .
authors.forename: Azam Mohammadi
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Alamouti
keywords: Head injury; ICP; Propofol