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Table 5 Systemic changes during barbiturate coma

From: Pentobarbital versus thiopental in the treatment of refractory intracranial hypertension in patients with traumatic brain injury: a randomized controlled trial

Parameter

Pretreatment

1st day

2nd day

3rd day

4rd day

Cardiac output (l/minute)a

   Thiopental

6.8 ± 1.4

6.4 ± 1.5

6.0 ± 1.4

6.7 ± 1.5

6.6 ± 1.8

   Pentobarbital

7.4 ± 2.2

7.1 ± 1.9

6.5 ± 2.0

7 ± 1.4

6.1 ± 1.3

Cardiac index (l/minute per m2)

   Thiopental

3.6 ± 0.6

3.4 ± 0.6

3.1 ± 0.6

3.6 ± 1.6

3.5 ± 0.9

   Pentobarbital

3.8 ± 1.2

3.8 ± 0.8

3.4 ± 0.8

3.6 ± 0.7

3.2 ± 0.6

Peripheral venous resistance (dines/m2)

   Thiopental

1,015 ± 325

1,022 ± 347

1,140 ± 429

1,089 ± 289

1,029 ± 253

   Pentobarbital

952 ± 257

893 ± 210

1,003 ± 322

939 ± 261

914 ± 188

Pulmonary artery wedge pressure (mmHg)

   Thiopental

10.4 ± 4.5

9.6 ± 3.6

10.1 ± 4.1*

10.9 ± 4.6*

11.4 ± 3.5*

   Pentobarbital

11.6 ± 4.0

11.4 ± 3.1

12.8 ± 3.1

13.2 ± 2.1

13.9 ± 3.1

mBP (mmHg)b

   Thiopental

92 ± 11

75 ± 7

76 ± 9*

76 ± 6*

76 ± 8

   Pentobarbital

94 ± 10

74 ± 1

68 ± 10

70 ± 1

70 ± 10

NAD (μg/kg per minute)c

   Thiopental

0.18 ± 0.33

0.28 ± 0.27

0.37 ± 0.3*

0.46 ± 0.39

0.56 ± 0.63

   Pentobarbital

0.19 ± 0.18

0.55 ± 0.68

0.73 ± 0.69

0.60 ± 0.44

0.96 ± 0.79

PO2/FiO2d

   Thiopental

284 ± 130

300 ± 139

293 ± 132

285 ± 138

254 ± 119

   Pentobarbital

317 ± 127

304 ± 116

262 ± 125

211 ± 77

184 ± 92

Haemoglobin

   Thiopental

10.9 ± 1.6

10.7 ± 1.3

11 ± 1.2

10.8 ± 0.9

10.7 ± 1.4

   Pentobarbital

10.6 ± 1.2

10.1 ± 1.0

10.4 ± 1.1

10.5 ± 1.1

10.2 ± 1.2

Temperature (°C)e

   Thiopental

35.8 ± 0.5

34.6 ± 1.3

34.6 ± 3.4

34.9 ± 1.0

34.9 ± 1.0

   Pentobarbital

35.7 ± 1.0

34.6 ± 1.2

34.3 ± 1.3

34.4 ± 1.3

34.2 ± 1.1

  1. aCardiac output, cardiac index, peripheral venous resistance and pulmonary artery wedge pressure: the values are the mean values over 24 hours. bmBP: minimum value of the medium blood pressure during the day. cNAD: maximum dose of Noradrenaline bitartrate during the day. dPO2/FisO2: ratio of partial oxygen tension to inspired fractional oxygen tension at 8:00 am. eTemperature: value of the minimum central temperature. *P < 0.05.