Propofol versus thiopental use in patients undergoing craniotomy

Anesthesiologists have long searched for the optimal anesthetic technique for patients undergoing craniotomy.1, 2 Thiopental was considered to be beneficial for neurosurgical patients because it preserves autoregulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and decreases in- tracranial pressure (ICP) by reducing cerebral metabolic oxygen consumption and CBF.3 Newer hypnotic agents like propofol have similar effects on CBF and ICP and a shorter context-sensitive half-life and, have largely re- placed the use of thiopental despite a lack of clinical comparative studies.4