title: The hypoxaemia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its management.
abstract: Chronic hypoxaemia < or = 55 mmHg, induces various clinical and physiological consequences in patients with stable COPD: dyspnoea, decrease in exercise performances, erythrocytosis impairment of neuropsychological functions, pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular heart failure, all of these troubles impairing quality of life and vital prognosis. To restore a PaO2 > 60 mmHg (or SaO2 > 90%), long term oxygen therapy (LTOT) is the best method in the management of COPD with severe chronic respiratory failure. For patients with PaO2 55-70 mmHg. Almitrine bismesylate a piperazine derivative improving the ventilation/perfusion matching, used in low dosage and in sequential administration, is a useful drug to increase the PaO2 and so, to delay but not to avoid LTOT in responder patients when PaO2 remains < or = 55 mmHg.
authors.affiliation: Hopital Albert Calmette, Service de Pneumonologie, Lille, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Voisin
mesh_terms: D015765:Almitrine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019141:Respiratory System Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D019141:Respiratory System Agents; D015765:Almitrine; D010100:Oxygen