A comparison of metaproterenol and theophylline for control of childhood asthma.
Twenty asthmatic children who had daily wheezing requiring constant medication as outpatients were given oral metaproterenol or oral theophylline in a randomized double-blind crossover study. Each medication was given for four weeks, after the theophylline dosage necessary to give a therapeutic level was established. Pulmonary function parameters, daily peak-flow measurements and diary symptom scores were statistically comparable in most patients during these four-week intervals. Metaproterenol may be used in place of oral theophylline for at least a four-week interval with no decrease in effectiveness.
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009921:Metaproterenol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D013618:Tachyphylaxis; D013806:Theophylline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
D009921:Metaproterenol; D013806:Theophylline