[Peculiarities of theophylline therapy in childhood].
Profound knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of theophylline is a prerequisite to successful therapy. In children the clearance of theophylline is considerably greater than in adults. The required higher dosage in relation to body weight results in more pronounced oscillations of drug levels in serum. Investigations in 280 children in the age of 1 to 18 years with bronchial asthma, treated with theophylline compounds, confirm the necessity of individual dosage and surveillance of the drug level in serum. Instead of the determination of the drug level in serum, its measurement in saliva is sufficiently reliable and less molesting. Checks of drug level are also a valuable educational measure to improve patients' compliance with drug intake. The effectivity of asthma therapy in children could be decisively improved by an adequate formulation of a slow release preparation of theophylline.
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013806:Theophylline / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D013806:Theophylline
Besonderheiten der Theophyllintherapie im Kindesalter.