Pentobarbital

Pentobarbital (US) or pentobarbitone (British and Australian) is a short-acting barbiturate typically used as a sedative, a preanesthetic, and to control convulsions in emergencies. It can also be used for short-term treatment of insomnia but has been largely replaced by the benzodiazepine family of drugs.

Pentobarbital
Clinical data
Trade namesNembutal
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa682416
License data
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: C
Routes of
administration
By mouth, intravenous, intramuscular, rectal
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability70–90% (oral); 90% (rectal)
Protein binding20–45%
MetabolismLiver
Elimination half-life15–48 hours
ExcretionKidney
Identifiers
  • 5-Ethyl-5-(1-methylbutyl)-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-pyrimidinetrione
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.000.895
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC11H18N2O3
Molar mass226.276 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • O=C1NC(=O)NC(=O)C1(C(C)CCC)CC
  • InChI=1S/C11H18N2O3/c1-4-6-7(3)11(5-2)8(14)12-10(16)13-9(11)15/h7H,4-6H2,1-3H3,(H2,12,13,14,15,16) Y
  • Key:WEXRUCMBJFQVBZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y
  (verify)

In high doses, pentobarbital causes death by respiratory arrest. It is used for veterinary euthanasia and is used by some US states and the Federal government of the United States for executions of convicted criminals by lethal injection. In some countries and states, it is also used for physician-assisted suicide.

Pentobarbital was widely abused and sometimes known as "yellow jackets" due to the yellow capsule of the Nembutal brand. Pentobarbital in oral (pill) form is not commercially available.

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