title: Evaluation of long-term oral administration of a sustained release theophylline preparation in children with chronic asthma.
abstract: Over a one-year-period 23 children with chronic asthma were given an oral sustained-release theophylline preparation in twice-daily doses. Constant therapeutic theophylline levels were maintained in 18 children for the whole period, while in 5 subjects the values were in almost all instances below the therapeutic range. In both groups, however, a good clinical effect from the preparation was observed. Only two children reported nausea and mild abdominal pains, whereas other two children had serum theophylline levels above 20 micrograms/ml with no side effects. It is concluded that oral sustained-release theophylline preparation is effective in providing therapeutic drug concentrations on a 12 hr dose schedule, thus avoiding the risk of lower compliance observed in children given normal theophylline tablets.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013806:Theophylline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D013806:Theophylline