title: Therapeutic drug monitoring of alprazolam in adolescents with asthma.
abstract: Children and adolescents with severe asthma frequently experience anxiety or depression with anxiety, which can undermine their response to treatment. In addition, these patients often receive theophylline and a variety of adrenergic stimulants, which can exacerbate or worsen anxiety. Such children occasionally are candidates for treatment with anxiolytic therapy. There is a paucity of drug disposition data in adolescents for benzodiazepines, the most frequently used antianxiety drugs. The authors monitored the steady state alprazolam plasma concentration in six children with severe asthma who were administered standard doses of alprazolam. In one patient administered concurrent therapy with troleandomycin, a recognized cytochrome 3A4 inhibitor, alprazolam plasma concentration was markedly elevated. Overall, the disposition data of alprazolam was consistent with data previously reported in adults. Alprazolam appeared to be safe and effective for use in adolescents with asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425-0742, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: DeVane
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Antal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000525:Alprazolam / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004347:Drug Interactions; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014217:Troleandomycin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014217:Troleandomycin; D000525:Alprazolam