Admin Table of Contents
What does barbiturates do to the brain?
Barbiturates increase the activity of a chemical in the brain that helps transmit signals. This chemical is known as gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). As a medication, they reduce muscle spasms, relieve anxiety, prevent seizures, and induce sleep.
What are the dangers of using barbiturates?
Barbiturates can be extremely dangerous because the correct dose is difficult to predict. Even a slight overdose can cause coma or death. Barbiturates are also addictive and can cause a life-threatening withdrawal syndrome.
What can long term use of barbiturates cause?
Long-term use and abuse of barbiturates can lead to a number of different complications, including 2, 3, 4: Breathing difficulties that become chronic, increasing one’s risk of developing bronchitis and pneumonia. Loss of control over bodily movements, including twitching and/or problems with motor coordination.
What are some effects of barbiturates quizlet?
Barbiturates produce significant physical dependence and potential for abuse. Terminating drug use after extended treatment produces a potentially fatal withdrawal syndrome similar to that for alcohol.
How do barbiturates affect GABA receptors?
Barbiturates, Long-Acting GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS. Barbiturates enhance GABA-mediated chloride currents by binding to the GABA-A receptor–ionophore complex and increasing the duration of ionophore opening.
What are the uses of barbiturates?
Barbiturates are a group of sedative-hypnotic medications used for the treatment of seizure disorder, neonatal withdrawal, insomnia, preoperative anxiety, induction of coma for increased intracranial pressure. They are also useful for inducing anesthesia.
What are the effects of barbiturates on the central nervous system quizlet?
An overdose of barbiturates produces CNS depression ranging from sleep to profound coma and death. Respiratory depression progresses to Cheyne-Stokes respirations, hypoventilation, and cyanosis.
When are barbiturates used?
Today, barbiturates are used for:
- anxiety and sedation related to surgery, if other drugs aren’t effective.
- seizures, if other drugs haven’t worked.
- tension headaches.
- traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- insomnia, in rare cases.
Why are barbiturates used for anesthesia?
Ultrashort-acting barbiturates are commonly used for anesthesia because their extremely short duration of action allows for greater control. These properties allow doctors to rapidly put a patient “under” in emergency surgery situations.