Abstract
ABSTRACT To the Editor.— Alcohol is widely thought to depress respiration, yet our previous studies have demonstrated minimal ventilatory depression during acute alcohol intoxication (JAMA 222:486,1972; Clin Pharmacol Ther 14:501, 1973). Since concomitant ingestion of drugs and alcohol occurs frequently and respiratory depression is a major physiologic effect of sedative drugs in large doses, interaction between alcohol and tranquilizers in small doses might dangerously depress respiration.To study this problem, we recently measured resting ventilation and response to CO2 in six healthy volunteers who received clinical doses of pentobarbital (100 mg) or glutethimide (500 mg) plus ethanol (0.7 ml/kg). No resting ventilatory measurements changed after drug ingestion. Pentobarbital and glutethimide moderately depressed, but ethanol did not significantly increase, the ventilatory response to CO2.We think that the respiratory depression due to combinations of alcohol and tranquilizers is unlikely to be clinically hazardous if the patient is awake and without
Published Version
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