Breathing pattern--gas exchange relation and acute effect of almitrine in severe chronic airflow obstruction.
Using a double-blind cross-over design, a single oral dose of 100 mg almitrine bismethylate and placebo were administered to 7 patients with chronic airflow limitation. In all patients, arterial blood gases at rest, ventilation and breathing pattern at rest and on exercise were measured before and 3 h after administration. Ventilation increased and PaCO2 decreased after almitrine; the mean PaO2 increase was statistically significant after active drug but the value increased more when tidal volume increased. It is concluded that in man the well-documented improvement in the V/Q relationship after almitrine is in part related to a pure ventilatory effect though the possibility of increasing ventilation by mainly increasing tidal volume.
Damato
S
S
Institute of Respiratory Diseases, University of Milan, Italy.
Bellone
A
A
Castelli
T
T
Mendoza
M
M
Daniele
R
R
D015765:Almitrine; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange / Q000187:drug effects*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects*; D013990:Tidal Volume
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D010879:Piperazines; D015765:Almitrine