title: [Measurement of blood theophylline levels in the child: will this affect methods of prescription? (author's transl)].
abstract: Twelve children aged between 2 and 13 years received an oral dose of 5 mg/kg of pure theophylline, and 28 children aged between 2 and 15 years were given 10 mg/kg/day of the same drug in 3 or 4 divided doses for 3 days. In the first group blood theophylline levels were higher than 10 microgram/ml, after 1 or 3 hours, in only 3 children, two of whom were receiving erythromycin at the same time. Six hours and 12 hours later, none of the serum levels were higher than 10 microgram/ml. In the second group, estimations were performed on the 4th day. At 8 a.m., when the last dose had been given 12 hours previously, blood theophylline levels were all less than 10 microgram/ml (mean: 4.03 +/- 0,88 microgram/ml). Two hours and four hours after the usual morning dose, serum levels of greater than 10 microgram/ml were found in respectively 35 and 25% of the children only. Since the bronchodilator effect of theophylline is optimal for serum levels of greater than 10 microgram/ml, the dose currently recommended in France (10 mg/kg/day) would thus appear to be insufficient in most instances. However, increase in individual doses must be guided by serum estimations, which make it possible to avoid complications related to overdosage.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013806:Theophylline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D004917:Erythromycin; D013806:Theophylline
vernacular_title: Le dosage de la théophyllinémie chez l'enfant va-t-il modifier notre mode de prescription?