EFFECTS OF BARBITURATE SEDATION ON THE BRAIN IN TOXEMIA OF PREGNANCY

Authors:
  • MMMilton L. McCall
    Milton L. McCall
  • HTHarry W. Taylor
    Harry W. Taylor
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Abstract
Recently quantitative studies of cerebral circulation and metabolism have been carried out on women with toxemia of pregnancy.1It was found that the cerebral blood flow was not affected by any type of toxemia. The most striking departure from normal was the presence of a greatly increased cerebrovascular resistance, thought to be due to vasospasm. In eclampsia with convulsions, there was a depression of cerebral oxygen metabolism. This knowledge has given us a new insight into the pathophysiology of the brain in toxemia of pregnancy and has opened the way to the evaluation of the effects of therapy on this organ.2 In modern times one of the most important aspects of therapy in this disease of obscure causation has been the use of large amounts of sedatives in an attempt to prevent or allay convulsions by depressing the central nervous system. The mechanism of this cerebral depression has