Diphenoxylate Hydrochloride and Pentobarbital Sodium

• Generic Name: atropine / diphenoxylate
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Lomotil, Lonox, Lomocot, Vi-Atro

Adjunctive therapy in the management of diarrhea.

Symptomatic treatment of mild or uncomplicated travelers’ diarrhea, including that occurring in adult travelers with HIV infection. Should not be used in travelers with severe diarrhea or with high fever or blood in the stools; these travelers may benefit from short-term treatment with an anti-infective (e.g., a fluoroquinolone).

Ineffective for prevention of travelers’ diarrhea; may increase incidence of travelers’ diarrhea.

• Generic Name: pentobarbital
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names:

  Nembutal Sodium, Nembutal

Short-term treatment of insomnia (i.e., ≤2 weeks duration); decreased effectiveness for sleep induction and maintenance after 2 weeks.

Has been used for routine sedation. However, barbiturates used infrequently for this indication since there are few clinical situations in which oral barbiturates provide a safety or efficacy advantage over nonbarbiturate sedatives/hypnotics.

Preoperatively, to produce sedation and relieve anxiety.

Provide basal hypnosis for general, spinal, or regional anesthesia, or to facilitate intubation procedures.

Alternate therapy to control status epilepticus or acute seizure episodes resulting from meningitis, poisons, eclampsia, alcohol withdrawal, tetanus, or chorea.

IV diazepam generally considered drug of choice for termination of status epilepticus.

Withdrawal of barbiturate or nonbarbiturate hypnotics in physically dependent patients.

Has been used to control acute episodes of agitated behavior in psychoses; however, little value in long-term management of psychoses.

Has been used in high doses to induce coma in the management of cerebral ischemia and increased intracranial pressure associated with head trauma, stroke, Reye’s syndrome, cardiac arrest, asphyxiation, or drowning.

Has been used to ameliorate or prevent sequelae associated with cerebral ischemia during neurosurgical procedures that require long periods of cerebral hypoxia.