The introduction of barbiturates at the beginning of the 20th century (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005) offered critical and profound advances in the field of psychiatric and neurological developments (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). Barbiturates were used for the treatment of ailments ranging from sleep disorders, psychoses, neuroses and epileptic seizures (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). Barbiturates paved a monumental pathway in the field of intravenous anesthesia and were the first, truly effective clinical pharmalogical drug administered for such ailments (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). Throughout the 20th century, there have been over 2500 different synthesized barbiturates, in which 5 or 6 of the derivatives are sufficient to manage
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Barbital was first introduced as a hypnotic in 1904 (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005) and Winthrop Chemical Company was granted license for commercialization in the USA (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). With thousands of different barbital derivatives, phenobarbital, synthesized in 1911, was to become one of the most widely used (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). Barbiturates offered greater advantage than previous drugs, such as higher potency, longer lasting and a wider range of therapeutic use (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). Another derivative of barbiturate that was proven to be successful was butobarbital (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005), introduced around the time of World War I (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). At this time, the cost of butyric acid decreased making the synthesis of new drugs available (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). Of these newly synthesized drugs, butobarbital was made available and was three times stronger than barbital, but had a decreased potential for “rebound” drowsiness the day after administration (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). In the next decades to follow the 30s, new barbiturates continued to become readily available, ranging from amobarbital (Amytal®), secobarbital (Seconal®), and thiopental (Pentothal®) (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, …show more content…
Barbiturates peaked in popularity between the 1930s and 1940s but would later lose popularity because of the significant repercussions that that would result because of the drug. These newer strings of barbiturates were introduced as safer, more effective drugs, however, were highly addictive with severe risk of withdrawal and death (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). By 1939, 100 tonnes of barbiturates were sole across the United States and nearly 2000 tonnes by the mid-1960s (Cozanitis, 2004). During this time, barbiturate related suicides were second to carbon monoxide poisoning, and it was estimated that one death occurred every 36 hours as a result of barbiturate use and/or abuse (Cozanitis, 2004). It was during these years that action needed to be taken to alleviate the detrimental effects that barbiturates would have over the population (Cozanitis, 2004). Many of the derivatives have been removed from the market because of the high risk and laws were eventually passed in the United States to regulate the distribution and sales of barbiturates (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005); benzodiazepines would eventually succeed barbiturates in
Barbital was first introduced as a hypnotic in 1904 (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005) and Winthrop Chemical Company was granted license for commercialization in the USA (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). With thousands of different barbital derivatives, phenobarbital, synthesized in 1911, was to become one of the most widely used (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). Barbiturates offered greater advantage than previous drugs, such as higher potency, longer lasting and a wider range of therapeutic use (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). Another derivative of barbiturate that was proven to be successful was butobarbital (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005), introduced around the time of World War I (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). At this time, the cost of butyric acid decreased making the synthesis of new drugs available (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). Of these newly synthesized drugs, butobarbital was made available and was three times stronger than barbital, but had a decreased potential for “rebound” drowsiness the day after administration (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). In the next decades to follow the 30s, new barbiturates continued to become readily available, ranging from amobarbital (Amytal®), secobarbital (Seconal®), and thiopental (Pentothal®) (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, …show more content…
Barbiturates peaked in popularity between the 1930s and 1940s but would later lose popularity because of the significant repercussions that that would result because of the drug. These newer strings of barbiturates were introduced as safer, more effective drugs, however, were highly addictive with severe risk of withdrawal and death (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005). By 1939, 100 tonnes of barbiturates were sole across the United States and nearly 2000 tonnes by the mid-1960s (Cozanitis, 2004). During this time, barbiturate related suicides were second to carbon monoxide poisoning, and it was estimated that one death occurred every 36 hours as a result of barbiturate use and/or abuse (Cozanitis, 2004). It was during these years that action needed to be taken to alleviate the detrimental effects that barbiturates would have over the population (Cozanitis, 2004). Many of the derivatives have been removed from the market because of the high risk and laws were eventually passed in the United States to regulate the distribution and sales of barbiturates (López-Muñoz & Ucha-Udabe, 2005); benzodiazepines would eventually succeed barbiturates in