title: [Naloxone and naltrexone in the therapy of advanced COPD].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Divisione medica III, Ospedale Fatebenefratelli e oftalmico, Milano.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Foresti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Filippi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Casati
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zubani
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scolari
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D009270:Naloxone; D009271:Naltrexone
vernacular_title: Naloxone e naltrexone nella terapia della BPCO in fase avanzata.