Amiodarone and chronic lung fibrosis

A covariate analysis was performed on the major lung function indices that are affected by pulmonary fibrosis in 29 patients who had recently started amiodarone therapy and compared with those of a group of 41 patients who had been treated for a mean of 19.6 months. Patients with other factors which affect gas transfer were excluded. A trend towards reduction in transfer factor, transfer coefficient and membrane diffusion was detected but did not reach statistical significance. A lower than expected incidence of acute pulmonary fibrosis was observed. In the treated group, there was no deterioration of transfer factor, transfer coefficient or membrane diffusion with either increasing duration of therapy or total dose taken.