Theophylline does not shorten hospital stay for children admitted for asthma
J. P. Needleman, M. C. Kaifer, J. T. Nold, P. E. Shuster, M. M. Redding and J. Gladstein
Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.
OBJECTIVE: To determine if the use of intravenous theophylline, in the form
of aminophylline, when added to systemic corticosteroids and aerosolized
beta 2-agonists, enhances the improvement of children with acute asthma
exacerbations. DESIGN: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized,
clinical trial. SETTING: The University of Maryland Medical Center,
Baltimore, an urban primary- and tertiary-care pediatric medical center.
PATIENTS: Forty-two children, aged 2 to 18 years, admitted to the hospital
for acute exacerbations of asthma. METHODS: Patients were randomized to
receive either intravenous theophylline to maintain a serum level greater
than 55 mumol/L or a placebo infusion. All patients received
methylprednisolone and nebulized albuterol. A clinical severity score was
assessed twice daily. RESULTS: The mean length of stay for the treatment
and control groups was 52.3 +/- 32.3 hours and 48.2 +/- 26.6 hours,
respectively (t = 0.45, P = .65). The rate of improvement of clinical
scores was similar. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the addition of
theophylline to albuterol and corticosteroids does not enhance improvement
of children admitted to the hospital with asthma.
