Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, N Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA. sbassin@nmff.org
In their article on the use of barbiturates for the treatment of intracranial hypertension after traumatic brain injury, Perez-Barcena and colleagues conclude that thiopental was more effective than pentobarbital in decreasing intracranial pressure. Here we discuss the limitations of this study and review areas of controversy surrounding barbiturate use in neurocritical care.