DOES FLURAZEPAM INGESTION AFFECT BREATHING AND OXYGENATION DURING SLEEP IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG-DISEASE

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 129  (2) , 230-233
Abstract
For 2 consecutive nights, 20 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) without significant CO2 retention were monitored by polysomography in a sleep laboratory study of the effects of flurazepam ingestion. In a double-blind, controlled, randomized fashion, they ingested 30 mg of flurazepam or placebo on 1 night and the alternate compound on the other. Flurazepam increased the frequency of sleep-disordered breathing events (P < 0.01), the frequency of episodes of desaturation (P < 0.01), the duration of desaturation (P < 0.01) and the severity of desaturation (P < 0.05). Although the findings were significant, the magnitude of the changes was small. In 17 of the 20 patients, the ingestion of a single 30-mg flurazepam tablet did not cause clinically significant O2 desaturation or breathing disturbance. The active drug did increase total sleep time (P < 0.001) and thus was an effective hypnotic in patients with COPD.

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