Intravenous anaesthetics

Abstract

Resuscitation is often needed for the patient who has taken an overdose of barbiturates. On first glance, therefore, it may appear paradoxical that intravenous barbiturates, or similar drugs, have a useful role to play in resuscitative procedures. However, they are used in the conscious or semiconscious patient to induce sleep and render him oblivious to anaesthetic or surgical procedures. For example, in the casualty department, light anaesthesia is indicated prior to the administration of a muscle relaxant drug such as suxamethonium (p. 194) which is used to facilitate endotracheal intubation as the initial treatment of a stove-in chest. The induction of sleep prior to defibrillation attempts with a defibrillator is desirable because the procedure is distressing (p. 14).