Effects of almitrine bismesylate on chemosensitivity in patients with chronic airways obstruction.

The effects of 100 mg doses of almitrine bismesylate given orally were compared with placebo on separate test days in twelve hypoxaemic patients with chronic airways obstruction. The drug caused significant increases in ventilation and arterial O2 tension with a fall in CO2 tension. Assessed by rebreathing techniques it augmented their ventilatory response to hypercapnia and even more to hypoxia. Only minimal changes occurred with placebo. The results are consistent with the drug's known action of sensitising the peripheral chemoreceptors.