[Naloxone and naltrexone in the therapy of advanced COPD].
We report a patient with COPD and bullous emphysema treated with narcotic antagonists (naloxone and naltrexone) for severe respiratory failure, with hypoxemia and hypercapnia, non responding to traditional medical therapy. According to previous reports, this treatment was started while waiting for lung transplantation, and it improved clinical pattern and arterial blood gas levels. Though the patient died for left ventricular failure fifteen days after the beginning of therapy, we think that narcotic antagonists can be successfully administered in some patients with advanced stage COPD.
Foresti
V
V
Divisione medica III, Ospedale Fatebenefratelli e oftalmico, Milano.
De Filippi
G
G
Casati
O
O
Zubani
R
R
Scolari
N
N
D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009270:Naloxone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D009270:Naloxone; D009271:Naltrexone
Naloxone e naltrexone nella terapia della BPCO in fase avanzata.