Olanzapine-induced respiratory failure

Olanzapine is considered a safe drug. However somnolence appears in up to 3 9% of the patients treated with 15 mg/day, of this drug. The authors descri be an elderly, patient with chronic lung disease who developed CO, narcosis and respiratory failure after treatment with olanzapine. The sedative effe ct of this drug was probably the cause of this life-threatening complicatio n. The authors suggest that elderly patients with chronic lung disease who are treated with olanzapine should be carefully, observed, especially durin g the first weeks of treatment.