ANESTHETIC PROPERTIES OF SODIUM 5-ALLYL-5-(1-METHYLBUTYL)-2-THIOBARBITURATE (SURITAL) AND CERTAIN OTHER THIOBARBITURATES IN DOGS

¹ Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

The anesthetic properties of four thiobarbiturates, thiopental, Surital, Thioethamyl, and B-10, were compared in dogs. The quality of anesthesia was most satisfactory with Surital and thiopental. The ratio of potency, based upon the duration of anesthesia and using thiopental as a standard of 1.0, was Surital 1.5, Thioethamyl, < 0.5 and B-10, > 1.5.

Surital exhibited considerably less cumulative effect than either thiopental or Thioethamyl and possesses other characteristics noted above which indicate it to be worthy of clinical trial. B-10 showed cumulative action of much the same degree as Surital but because of undesirable side-reactions was not considered to be a good intravenous anesthetic agent for the dog.

Based upon these observations, and the assumption that all thiobarbiturates are detoxified in a similar manner, it seems clear that further work should center on a search for a more potent agent in order to permit a greater duration of anesthesia without serious cumulative effects.