title: Effect on respiration of diazepam, chloropromazine and haloperidol in patients with chronic airways obstruction.
abstract: The effect on respiration of diazepam, haloperidol and chloropromazine in patients with chronic airways obstruction was studied on ten patients by the modified rebreathing method of ventilatory response to carbon-dioxide. The two parameters of the ventilatory response studied were: (a) the slope expressed as litres/minute/mmHg CO2 and (b) minute ventilation at a computed pCO2 57 mmHg (VE 57). A significant decrease in either of these parameters indicated respiratory depression. Following administration of 10 mg diazepam intramuscularly to ten patients a significant depression of respiration was observed in five patients. Administration of 50 mg chloropromazine intramuscularly to eight patients significantly depressed respiration of three patients. A significant depression of respiration was not observed in any of the ten patients given 5 mg haloperidol intramuscularly. These results indicate that the lack of significant respiratory depression from an intramuscular injection of 5 mg of haloperidol to patients with severe chronic airways obstruction makes it a safer drug, for the management of acute psychotic episodes in such patients, than 50 mg of chloropromazine or 10 mg of diazepam given intramuscularly.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D006220:Haloperidol; D003975:Diazepam; D002746:Chlorpromazine