Sodium thiopental

Sodium thiopental
Clinical data
Trade names	Pentothal, others
Other names	Truth serum, thiopentone, thiopental
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
Pregnancy; category	AU: D; ;
Routes of; administration	Intravenous, by mouth, rectal
Drug class	Barbiturate
ATC code	N01AF03 (WHO) N05CA19 (WHO);
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S4 (Prescription only); BR: Class B1 (Psychoactive drugs); CA: Schedule IV; UK: Class B; US: Schedule III;
Pharmacokinetic data
Protein binding	80%
Metabolism	Liver
Metabolites	Pentobarbital, others
Onset of action	30–45 seconds
Elimination half-life	5.5–26 hours
Duration of action	5–10 minutes
Identifiers
	IUPAC name sodium 5-ethyl-5-pentan-2-yl-2-sulfanylidene-1,3-diazinane-4,6-dione;
CAS Number	71-73-8; 76-75-5;
PubChem CID	3000714;
DrugBank	DB00599;
ChemSpider	2272257;
UNII	49Y44QZL70;
KEGG	D00714;
ChEBI	CHEBI:9561;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL738;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID1021744 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.000.694
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C11H17N2NaO2S
Molar mass	264.32 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
Chirality	Racemic mixture
	SMILES [Na+].O=C1NC(=S)/N=C(/[O-])C1(C(C)CCC)CC;
	InChI InChI=1S/C11H18N2O2S.Na/c1-4-6-7(3)11(5-2)8(14)12-10(16)13-9(11)15;/h7H,4-6H2,1-3H3,(H2,12,13,14,15,16);/q;+1/p-1; Key:AWLILQARPMWUHA-UHFFFAOYSA-M;

Sodium thiopental, also known as thiopental sodium or thiopentone and sold under the brand name Pentothal, is a rapid-onset short-acting barbiturate general anesthetic. It is the thiobarbiturate analog of pentobarbital, and an analog of thiobarbital. Sodium thiopental is a therapeutic alternative on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. It was the first of three drugs administered during most lethal injections in the United States until the US division of Hospira objected and stopped manufacturing the drug for this purpose in 2011, and the European Union additionally banned the export of the drug for this purpose. Although thiopental abuse carries a dependency risk, its recreational use is rare.

Sodium thiopental is well-known in popular culture, especially under the name "sodium pentothal," as a "truth serum," although its efficacy in this role is questioned.