[Pharmacokinetics of theophylline in children with acute asthmatic crisis].

In order to defined the theophylline dose which produce effective theophylline concentrations with less number of plasmatic controls, we analyzed the theophylline pharmacokinetics of 18 boys and girls between 3-12 year olds of Tarragona, to which we administered 6 mg/kg/6 h of aminophylline by IV intermittent infusion (30 min), following by rapid-release PO aminophylline at the same dose and intervals. In steady-state we did the pharmacokinetic studies at 1 h, 4 h and 6 h after the administration of one dose. The maintenance dose obtained was administered PO as slow-release theophylline, with later controls of theophylline concentration. We found that maintenance dose of 24.1 +/- 4.7 mg/kg/day (mean +/- SD) allowed theophylline concentration between therapeutic levels in the population studied.