A seven-year-old child with generalized status epilepticus who was placed in a barbiturate coma was monitored with the bispectral index monitor in addition to the standard full channel electroencephalogram. This child had a low bispectral index number and high suppression ratio on the bispectral index monitor when the desired level of pentobarbital coma was induced. There was excellent correlation of the bispectral index monitor to the suppression ratio. The burst rate also correlated well to the bispectral index number and to the suppression ratio. Therefore the bispectral index monitor could allow the patient in barbiturate coma to leave the intensive care unit for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures and may one day replace the full-channel electroencephalogram in the management of patients in barbiturate coma.