Which statement best describes the risk associated with benzodiazepine use in patients with COPD?

Which statement best describes the risk associated with benzodiazepine use in patients with COPD?

• A. They may cause depressed respiratory function and reduced CO2 response.
• B. They improve oxygenation during COPD exacerbations.
• C. They have no effect on respiratory drive.
• D. They only affect sleep.

Answer: (A)

Benzodiazepines depress the brain’s breathing centers, which can blunt both overall respiratory drive and the response to rising CO2. In COPD, patients already have limited ventilatory reserve and a blunted CO2 response; adding a sedative can cause hypoventilation, hypoxemia, and potential respiratory failure. That combination—decreased ventilatory effort plus reduced CO2 responsiveness—is exactly the risk described, making that statement the best fit. They do not inherently improve oxygenation during COPD exacerbations, and their effects aren’t confined to sleep, so the other options aren’t correct.

Benzodiazepines depress the brain’s breathing centers, which can blunt both overall respiratory drive and the response to rising CO2. In COPD, patients already have limited ventilatory reserve and a blunted CO2 response; adding a sedative can cause hypoventilation, hypoxemia, and potential respiratory failure. That combination—decreased ventilatory effort plus reduced CO2 responsiveness—is exactly the risk described, making that statement the best fit. They do not inherently improve oxygenation during COPD exacerbations, and their effects aren’t confined to sleep, so the other options aren’t correct.