DIAZEPAM IN THE TREATMENT OF DYSPNEA IN THE PINK PUFFER SYNDROME

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 49  (193) , 9-20
Abstract
Diazepam in moderate doses was used in a placebo controlled, single blind study to treat dyspnea in 4 patients severely disabled from chronic airflow obstruction. The subjects had the pink puffer syndrome usually associated with emphysema and were not hypercapneic or severely hypoxic at rest. With diazepam they experienced a striking reduction in dyspnea, and an improvement in effort tolerance and the slope of the ventilation/CO2 response curve was reduced. There were no changes in resting blood gases. Psychiatric examination at the end of the study did not reveal prominent anxiety, but 3 patients were depressed. The use of diazepam to treat dyspnea in this syndrome is safe in the absence of any acute infection.

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