Individualization of theophylline dosage using a single serum sample following a test dose.
Because formulas for theophylline requirement based on weight alone carry the risk of overdosing and toxicity, this study was designed to test a clearance nomogram for determining daily theophylline requirement after a known initial dose of theophylline. Twenty asthmatic children who had not taken theophylline for at least 36 hours fasted and were given one dose of anhydrous theophylline (5 mg/kg). Six hours later the serum level was measured and the appropriate dosage of sustained-release theophylline to achieve a serum level of 10 micrograms/ml was selected from the clearance nomogram. Three to seven days later a six-hour theophylline level was obtained. Of 20 patients, therapeutic levels of 10 to 30 micrograms/ml were achieved in 15, and the remaining five patients had levels close to this (range 6.2 to 16.0 micrograms/ml). The dosage requirement per 24 hours ranged from 10 to 32 mg/kg/24 hr. This method of determining theophylline requirements for children required measurement of the serum theophylline level only once for the determination of a safe and effective daily dose. It is especially valuable when follow-up is difficult and is a safe way to avoid serious overdosing while being certain of effective dosing.[1]References
- Individualization of theophylline dosage using a single serum sample following a test dose. Shapiro, G.G., Koup, J.R., Furukawa, C.T., Pierson, W.E., Gibaldi, M., Fuquay, D., Bierman, C.W. Pediatrics (1982) [Pubmed]
Annotations and hyperlinks in this abstract are from individual authors of WikiGenes or automatically generated by the WikiGenes Data Mining Engine. The abstract is from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.About WikiGenesOpen Access LicencePrivacy PolicyTerms of Useapsburg
