A DOUBLE-BLIND TRIAL OF FIVE RESPIRATORY STIMULANTS IN PATIENTS IN ACUTE VENTILATORY FAILURE

Abstract

32 chronic bronchitic patients in acute, Summary moderate to severe ventilatory failure were treated, in a double-blind trial of respiratory stimulants, with doxapram hydrochloride, nikethamide, prethcamide, amiphenazole, or ethamivan combined with a standard antibiotic regimen. Doxapram seemed, both clinically and on statistical analysis, to be the most effective agent studied in reversing hypercapnia and hypoxæmia, whilst nikethamide and prethcamide seemed to be the least effective. All respiratory stimulants have some degree of mild toxicity, but doxapram is no more toxic than other generally accepted analeptic agents.