We have determined the effects of thiopental or isoflurane upon cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMRO2) when these agents are used in sufficient dose to attain a deep burst suppression pattern on the electroencephalogram (EEG) during hypothermic and normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Thirty-one patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery were anesthetized with fentanyl 0.1 mg X kg-1, and were randomly allocated to one of three groups: control (no further anesthetics during bypass and continuous EEG activity), thiopental treatment (EEG suppression), or isoflurane treatment (EEG suppression). Hypothermia (25-29 degrees C) was routinely induced at onset of nonpulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass. In the treatment groups, thiopental or isoflurane were used during bypass to achieve a deep burst suppression pattern. Cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen were determined during hypothermia and upon rewarming to normothermia (37 degrees C). Pharmacologic EEG suppression with either isoflurane or thiopental was associated with lower cerebral metabolic rate than control values during both hypothermic and normothermic bypass. However, only thiopental-induced EEG suppression was associated with lower cerebral blood flow than control. Cerebral blood flow during isoflurane-induced EEG suppression was similar to control values in spite of the reduced cerebral metabolic rate.