Sodium thiopental, also known as thiopental, is one of the oldest drugs in the pharmacopeia. It was one of the first short acting sedatives used in clinical practice. The drug is classified as a brain depressant and very rarely used today because of the availability of safer and less toxic drugs.
Sodium thiopental is classified as a barbiturate and works on certain brain chemicals and induces sleep. The drug is given intravenously during general anesthesia and induces sleep within a few seconds. However, the drug rapidly undergoes distribution to other parts of the body and its effects wear off in 5-15 minutes.
Thiopental is still used in veterinary medicine to put animals to sleep. The drug is very rarely used in hospitals all over the world chiefly because much safer and effective drugs are available. Thiopental is now used in some states as a lethal injection. It is used in combination with a muscle relaxant drug like pancuronium followed by potassium. Once the individual is fast asleep, and the body relaxed, potassium chloride is injected which stops the heart. The procedure is said to be painless and complication free. In fact, the biggest problem with executing prisoners with intravenous drugs is the finding of decent veins for injecting the drug. Since physicians do not take part in executing prisoners, inexperienced people have difficulty finding veins to inject the drugs.
Thiopental has a number of side effects including a drop in blood pressure, arresting breathing and inducing coma.
Thiopental is also a frequently abused drug and usually stolen from pharmacies or from veterinarians.