Effect of almitrine bismesylate on arterial blood gases and ventilatory drive in patients with severe chronic airflow obstruction and bilateral carotid body resection.

According to a double-blind cross over design 100 mg almitrine bismesylate or placebo was administered orally to eight patients with chronic airflow obstruction having undergone bilateral carotid body resection up to two years earlier to alleviate their extreme dyspnoea. Almitrine bismesylate failed to improve gas exchange in these patients, nor did it affect ventilation, breathing pattern, ventilatory or hypoxic drive. This study confirms that the drug only exerts its effects on carotid bodies and that the previously documented improvement in V/Q matching also results from its action on carotid bodies.