Olanzapine-induced respiratory failure.

Olanzapine is considered a safe drug. However, somnolence appears in up to 39% of the patients treated with 15 mg./day of this drug. The authors describe an elderly patient with chronic lung disease who developed CO2 narcosis and respiratory failure after treatment with olanzapine. The sedative effect of this drug was probably the cause of this life-threatening complication. The authors suggest that elderly patients with chronic lung disease who are treated with olanzapine should be carefully observed, especially during the first weeks of treatment.