Theophylline therapy in bronchiolitis. A retrospective study
L. J. Brooks and G. J. Cropp
Since bronchiolitis has clinical and pathophysiologic similarities to
asthma, the use of bronchodilator drugs has been suggested; however, their
effectiveness remains unproven. We reviewed the outcome of treatment in 64
children less than 18 months of age hospitalized for the first time with a
diagnosis of bronchiolitis or wheezing. Thirty one of the patients received
theophylline therapy and sometimes steroids and/or inhaled sympathomimetic
drugs, and 34 received no such therapy. Although the theophylline-treated
children were older (9.4 vs 4.9 months of age), there were no other
differences in the histories, clinical findings, laboratory assessments, or
outcome between theophylline-treated and untreated groups. The results
suggest that theophylline and steroid therapies had not beneficial effects
on the resolution of acute bronchiolitis or wheezing in the majority of
infants and small children.
