Abstract
Benzodiazepines and barbiturates are used for procedural sedation either as a single agent or in combination with other medications. This chapter discusses the mechanism of action, dosing, clinical effects, and uses of these sedative agents, although barbiturates are falling out of favor in the sedation community due to the ready availability of other short-acting sedatives such as propofol. Ultra-short acting barbiturates like Methohexital can still be useful for procedural sedation in patients where propofol is contraindicated, such as those with allergy to propfol, eggs, and soy and patients with an underlying mitochondrial disorder.
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Mathur, M., Malik, M.T. (2021). Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates. In: Kamat, P.P., Berkenbosch, J.W. (eds) Sedation and Analgesia for the Pediatric Intensivist. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52555-2_28
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52555-2_28
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