[Effect of fominoben on ventilation, oxygen uptake and blood gases in patients with obstructive ventilation disorders].

The substituted benzylamin-derivative fominoben (PB 89 Noleptan) was intravenously administered to 12 patients with chronic obstructive lung disease in order to determine, whether an analeptic action on respiration, which had been found by others in animal studies and in healthy subjects, can also be demonstrated in patients with COLD. Time ventilation showed no statistically significant change. Respiratory rate was increased for a short time, alveolar ventilation showed a slight but significant increase 35 minutes after i.v. injection of fominoben, however no significant change in the first 10 minutes after injection.--Arterial pO2 was slightly but not significantly increased in the first 10 minutes after fominoben, while the same patients showed a significant decrease of pO2 after injection of placebo. As alveolar ventilation at this time had not significantly changed, the increase in pO2 can only be explained by an improvement of regional ventilation-perfusion ratio by fominoben. -In conclusion it can be stated, that a marked stimulative action on respiration by fominoben could not be demonstrated. There was, however, no depression of respiration as it is associated with most other caugh medications. As the drug has been shown to be an excellent caugh sedative, lack of respiratory depression can be considered as a considerable advantage.