title: [Continuous treatment of asthma in children with theophylline retard].
abstract: Continuous sustained-release theophylline therapy was used in 61 children with severe asthma, aged 5 to 16 years. Mean treatment duration was 5 months 8 days (range: 8 days-16 months). The necessary dosage to obtain correct blood theophylline levels was 18 +/- 3.6 mg/kg/day (range: 10-31 mg/kg/day). The adaptation of the doses to blood theophylline levels and regular check-ups confirmed intrapatient variability and the dose-dependent disposition of theophylline. In 35 of the 42 children (82%) who were observed for more than 3 months, theophylline induced a decrease of the frequency of the attacks and a better attendance to school. Nine times out of 30, oral steroid administration or sustained-release cosyntropin injections could be stopped and in 15, the dosages could be decreased by at least 50%. Evaluations of pulmonary function, performed several times in 12 children, showed that theophylline induces significant bronchodilatation, mostly of the large bronchi.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013806:Theophylline / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D013806:Theophylline
vernacular_title: Traitement continu par théophylline retard dans l'asthme de l'enfant.