Safety and toxicological profile of contemporary analeptics: Prodigious focus on doxapram and almitrine

Abstract

Analeptics are the classes of stimulant drugs which are generally used to treat respiratory depression particularly in case of coma and fainting. Most of them are central nervous system stimulants with very censorious therapeutic indexes. They stimulate respiration and can have resuscitative value in breathing failure or apnoea. Since most of them have narrow margin of safety, hence they are meticulously preferred for the purpose of treatment. Doxapram is one of the best known analeptic medicament approved for human use in the treatment of drug induced respiratory depression and apnoea of prematurity. It has tendency to stimulate chemoreceptors in carotid body of carotid artery and respiratory centre in medulla oblongata. It blocks potassium channel also. Unlike other analeptic drugs, doxapram hasn't drug dependence or addictive property. Although, almitrine is a safe drug, but doxapram has better clinical preference in the treatment of apnoea and respiratory depression. Chronic maladies of obstructive pulmonary ailments are generally treated by almitrine, which is a well tolerated through oral route. It enhances respiration by agonising peripheral chemoreceptors of receptors of carotid body without impairing the quality of sleep.