title: [Chronic theophylline treatment in chronic airflow obstruction. Relations between doses, blood levels and expiratory flow].
abstract: We evaluated 31 patients from the ABS La Gavarra in Cornellà de Llobregat who fulfilled the following criteria: they were male, they had mild to moderate chronic limitation to airflow (CLAF), their disease and/or other accompanying conditions were stable, and they were receiving chronic slow release theophylline therapy. We investigated theophylline blood levels in these patients, attempting to correct the doses when appropriate, and we correlated the therapeutic levels with the subjective clinical improvement, which was also assessed by peak flow meter values. A total of 60% of patients had therapeutic levels. After correcting the dose, 64% had therapeutic levels with an increase of spirometric values of 4%. This improvement has small clinical relevance as it does not reach the expected 15%. The results of this study help to reassess the leading role of theophyllines in the therapeutic armamentarium available for CLAF.
authors.affiliation: Unidad Docente de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, Barcelona.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Llagostera Español
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Asenjo Vázquez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martí i Nogué
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vernetta Porta
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alvarez Funes
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Serrano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; D013806:Theophylline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013806:Theophylline
vernacular_title: Tratamiento crónico con teofilinas en la limitación crónica al flujo aéreo. Relación entre dosis, niveles séricos y flujo espiratorio.