Sodium thiopental , better known as Sodium Pentothal (a trademark of Abbott Laboratories ), thiopental , thiopentone sodium , or trapanal , is a rapid-onset short-acting barbiturate general anaesthetic . more

Sodium thiopental , better known as Sodium Pentothal (a trademark of Abbott Laboratories ), thiopental , thiopentone sodium , or trapanal , is a rapid-onset short-acting barbiturate general anaesthetic . It is an intravenous ultra-short-acting barbiturate. Sodium thiopental is a depressant and is sometimes used during interrogations?not to cause pain (in fact, it may have just the opposite effect), but to weaken the resolve of the subject and make him or her more compliant to pressure. [ citation needed ] Thiopental is a core medicine in the World Health Organization 's " Essential Drugs List ", which is a list of minimum medical needs for a basic health care system. [ 3 ] less