Article Text

Download PDFPDF
Effect of nitrazepam and flurazepam on the ventilatory response to carbon dioxide.
  1. D M Geddes,
  2. M Rudolf,
  3. K B Saunders

    Abstract

    Ventilatory response to CO2 was measured before and after two different benzodiazepine hypnotics in both chronic bronchitics and patients without chest disease. Flurazepam, but not nitrazepam, produced a significant decrease in CO2 sensitivity, although there was no significant change in FEV1 or mixed venous PCO2. This is the first unequivocal evidence of central depression of respiration by a benzodiazepine and may be the mechanism by which benzodiazepines cause deterioration in patients with respiratory failure.

    Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.