Showing papers on "Barbiturate published in 2017"
TL;DR: Phenobarbital, with or without concomitant benzodiazepine therapy, may provide similar or improved outcomes when compared with alternative therapies, including Benzodiazepines alone.
Abstract: Purpose: Benzodiazepines are the drug of choice for alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS); however, phenobarbital is an alternative agent used with or without concomitant benzodiazepine therapy. In this systematic review, we evaluate patient outcomes with phenobarbital for AWS. Methods: Medline, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched from 1950 through February 2017 for controlled trials and observational studies using ["phenobarbital" or "barbiturate"] and ["alcohol withdrawal" or "delirium tremens."] Risk of bias was assessed using tools recommended by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Results: From 294 nonduplicative articles, 4 controlled trials and 5 observational studies (n = 720) for AWS of any severity were included. Studies were of good quality (n = 2), fair (n = 4), and poor (n = 3). In 6 studies describing phenobarbital without concomitant benzodiazepine therapy, phenobarbital decreased AWS symptoms (P < .00001) and displayed similar rates of treatment failure versus comparator therapies (38% vs 29%). A study with 2 cohorts showed similar rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admission (phenobarbital: 16% and 9% vs benzodiazepine: 14%) and hospital length of stay (phenobarbital: 5.85 and 5.30 days vs benzodiazepine: 6.64 days). In 4 studies describing phenobarbital with concomitant benzodiazepine therapy, phenobarbital groups had similar ICU admission rates (8% vs 25%), decreased mechanical ventilation (21.9% vs 47.3%), decreased benzodiazepine requirements by 50% to 90%, and similar ICU and hospital lengths of stay and AWS symptom resolution versus comparator groups. Adverse effects with phenobarbital, including dizziness and drowsiness, rarely occurred. Conclusion: Phenobarbital, with or without concomitant benzodiazepines, may provide similar or improved outcomes when compared with alternative therapies, including benzodiazepines alone.
22 citations
TL;DR: In the present case, it was possible to conclude that the death was a suicide due to pentobarbital intoxication in association with other depressants of the CNS (benzodiazepines and ethanol), since it is one of the drugs most frequently mentioned by entities defending "painless death".
11 citations
27 May 2017
TL;DR: Phenobarbital is a barbiturate, nonselective central nervous system depressant which is primarily used as a sedative hypnotic and also as an anticonvulsant in subhypnotic doses.
Abstract: Phenobarbital belongs to the class of medications called barbiturates It is used to treat insomnia (difficulty sleeping) and as a sedative to relieve the symptoms of anxiety or tension It is also used for the control of certain types of seizures It works by slowing down the brain and nervous system Phenobarbital is a barbiturate, nonselective central nervous system depressant which is primarily used as a sedative hypnotic and also as an anticonvulsant in subhypnotic doses
6 citations