The cardiovascular and respiratory effects of 3 rapidly acting barbiturates, thiopental sodium, thiamylal sodium, and methohexital sodium, were studied in dogs from completion of injection until 12.5 minutes after injection. The doses administered were 19.4 mg of thiopental/kg of body weight, 18.4 mg of thiamylal/kg, and 9.7 mg of methohexital/kg, which were chosen as equipotent doses necessary to inhibit the laryngoscopic reflex in 50% of the population. To determine the cardiovascular and respiratory effects for each drug, the values at each measurement time following injection were compared with baseline values (T0). At the 15- and 30-second measurement times following thiopental administration, stroke volume (SV) decreased; heart rate (HR), left atrial pressure, and mean pulmonary arterial pressure increased; and cardiac index (CI), myocardial contractility, and systemic and pulmonary vascular resistances were not different from baseline values. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was not different from the baseline value at 15 seconds, but was increased from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. All values except HR had returned to baseline values by 7.5 minutes. At all measurement times, arterial oxygen tension and arterial pH were decreased, and arterial carbon dioxide tension increased from baseline values. Although the cardiovascular and respiratory changes following administration of thiamylal and methohexital were similar to those described for thiopental, some differences were found. Following thiamylal administration, systemic vascular resistance increased at 1 minute, pulmonary vascular resistance increased at 1 and 2 minutes, and myocardial contractility increased at 1 and 2 minutes. Following methohexital administration, MAP decreased at 15 seconds, and SV decreased at all measurement times.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)