Association of oral almitrine and medroxyprogesterone acetate: effect on arterial blood gases in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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.
Pinet
C
C
Department des Maladies Respiratoires, Hĵpital Sainte Marguerite, Marseille, France. cpinet@ap-hm.fr
Tessonnier
F
F
Ravel
T
T
Orehek
J
J
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
D019141:Respiratory System Agents; D015765:Almitrine; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate