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Abstract
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 P aO2remained 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: ΔP aO2=7·4±1·9 mmHg, ΔP aCO2= −5·1±1·7 mmHg (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.
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References
References
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
March 27,
2001
Received:
February 16,
2001
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© 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc.
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