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Article: Barbiturates: Complications
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol, and Addictive Behavior
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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BARBITURATES: COMPLICATIONS
Barbiturates are central nervous system (CNS) Depressants ("downers"). These drugs produce sedative, hypnotic, and anesthetic effects. Depending on the dose used, any single drug in this class may produce sedation (decreased responsiveness), hypnosis (sleep), and anesthesia (loss of sensation). A small dose will produce sedation and relieve Anxi-Ety and tension; a somewhat larger dose taken in a quiet setting will usually produce sleep; an even larger dose will produce unconsciousness. The sleep produced by barbiturates, however, is not identical with normal sleep. Normal sleep consists of alternating phases of slow-wave sleep (SWS)
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when the ...