Methohexital

General

Adult Dosing

  • Dose 1-1.5mg/kg

Pediatric Dosing

  • >1mo: 6.6-10 mg/kg IM administered as a 5% (50 mg/mL) solution

Special Populations

Contraindications

  • Allergy to class/drug
  • Porphyria
  • Relative: cardiovascular disease, hypotension, respiratory disease
  • Caution if: severe anemia, extreme obesity, debilitated patients, renal/hepatic/endocrine/circulatory dysfunction, obstructive pulmonary disease, severe HTN, status asthmaticus

Adverse Reactions

Serious

  • Laryngospasm
  • Apnea, respiratory depression
  • Hypotension
  • Myocardial depression
  • Seizures

Common

  • Hiccups, muscle twitching, coughing
  • Shivering
  • Salivation
  • Emergence reaction
  • Anxiety, restlessness
  • Headache
  • Nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain
  • Erythema, pruritus, urticaria
  • Rhinitis
  • Thrombophlebitis
  • Injection site pain

Pharmacology

  • Half-life: 3-6h
  • Metabolism: Hepatic
  • Excretion: Urine
  • Mechanism of Action: ultra short acting barbituate
  • Onset < 1 minute; Duration 10 minutes

Comments

  • No analgesic effect

See Also

References