Barbiturates and brain oedema in children

Overview

Barbiturates are used in treatment of brain oedema as a barbiturate coma and as a short term barbiturate in bolus repeated dose. Aim of thisretrospective study is to evaluate the effect of barbiturates on decreasing of mortality in children with intracranial hypertension of traumatic and nontraumatic etiology. We evaluated group of 233 children, trauma 109, non trauma 124. Input criteria was extension reaction on pain stimuli. Intracranialpressure was measured in epidural way. Staircase therapeutical protocol was used, short term barbiturate Thiopental was use in periods of intracranialhypertension in repeated dose 1–2 mg/kg of b. w. Thiopental was used in 145 children, 74 children survived, it is 51 per cent. Count of 74 children is31,7 per cent from the group of 233 children. Count of 74 children from the traumatic group (109 patients) was treated with Thiopental, 45 childrensurvived. It is 41 per cent from the traumatic group. Study supports the idea of positive influence of short term barbiturate on mortality, this effect ishigher in traumatic brain oedema.

Key words:
barbiturates – brain oedema – children – mortality