title: Pronounced metabolic response to modest theophylline overdose.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a patient who developed significant metabolic abnormalities in response to a low-level theophylline ingestion.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 18-year-old man was examined after ingesting theophylline 3 g in a suicide attempt. Although his peak theophylline concentration was 157 mumol/L (28.2 micrograms/mL), it was associated with significant leukocytosis, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hypophosphatemia, hyperglycemia, and lactic acidosis. These abnormalities have been previously associated with theophylline intoxication, but only in conjunction with much higher peak concentrations of theophylline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant metabolic abnormalities can occur with suicidal ingestion of relatively small amounts of theophylline. The presence of these abnormalities should be sought in theophylline overdoses. In the proper clinical circumstances, such abnormalities should raise suspicion of covert theophylline ingestion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Akron City Hospital, OH.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hagley
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Traeger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schuckman
mesh_terms: D000140:Acidosis, Lactic / Q000139:chemically induced; D000293:Adolescent; D062787:Drug Overdose; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D017674:Hypophosphatemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D007964:Leukocytosis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D013806:Theophylline / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D013806:Theophylline; D008274:Magnesium