title: Association of oral almitrine and medroxyprogesterone acetate: effect on arterial blood gases in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: Almitrine (A) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MA) given separately improve arterial blood gases in some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); the aim of this study was to assess the effect of the two drugs given together. Forty-eight patients with irreversible COPD and hypoxaemia were prospectively enrolled into a 14-day run-in period and received single-blind oral treatment with double placebo. Patients whose PaO2 remained stable (less than 10% change; n = 29, 25 males, mean age 65.6 years) were included in a 14-day active treatment period and randomly assigned to three groups. They received double-blind oral treatment with: A (50 mg bid, group A, n = 10); MA (20 mg tid, group MA, n = 9); A (50 mg bid) and MA (20 mg tid, group A+MA, n = 10). Anthropometric and spirometric measurements were similar in the three groups and so were the arterial blood gas values at the beginning and the end of the run-in period. At the end of the active treatment period, blood gas changes (mean+/-SE) were significantly different between groups (P<0.05, Kruskal-Wallis test), with improvement in both hypoxaemia and hypercapnia in group A+MA only: delta PaO2 = 7.4+/-1.9 mmHg, delta PaCO2 = -5.1+/-1.7 m mHg (P<0.05, Wilcoxon test). In short-term treatment, the association of A and MA is more efficient than either drug alone at improving arterial blood gases in COPD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department des Maladies Respiratoires, Hĵpital Sainte Marguerite, Marseille, France. cpinet@ap-hm.fr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pinet
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tessonnier
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ravel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Orehek
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015765:Almitrine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019141:Respiratory System Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019141:Respiratory System Agents; D015765:Almitrine; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate