Effect of theophylline and glucose injection in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation

AIM: To study the efficacy and safety of theophylline and glucose injection in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation. METHODS: Sixty patients with COPD exacerbation were randomly divided into theophylline and glucose injection group with 34 patients and aminophylline injection group with 26 patients, respectively. These patients received theophylline and glucose injection 0.2 g ,iv,gtt qd or aminophylline 0.25 g in 5 % glucose injective 100 mL , iv,gtt qd for 1 d .For all patients, clinical symptoms, physical signs, value of FEV 1, ECG and adverse reaction were recorded before treatment and 0,60,180,360 min after iv,gtt. RESULTS: After treatment with theophylline and glucose injection 0.2 g gtt, lung function and clinical symptoms were significantly improved, and the improvement continued to 360 min after treatment. At 360 min after treatment , the effective rate of lung function and symptoms of wheeze was 71 % and 59 % , respectively. The efficacy was similar to that of aminophylline 0.25 g ,iv, gtt ( P 0.05 ). All patients had well tolerance to the two drugs. CONCLUSION: Theophylline and glucose injection is suitable for clinical treatment of COPD exacerbation, its efficacy and safety is similar to aminophylline.