[Determination of theophylline blood levels by a rapid immunoenzyme method ( "Accu-Level"): results in 83 cases]

We report the results of the use of the "Accu-level" method for the rapid measurement of theophylline blood levels in a health center, so as to evaluate it for the routine practice of family doctors. The study included 83 patients receiving sustained effect theophylline preparations from May to September 1988. The accuracy of the method in the interassay evaluation (repetitivity) showed a variation coefficient of 7.92%, whereas in the intraassay evaluation (reproducibility) the coefficients were lower than 5%. The correlation study with the EMITT method showed a correlation coefficient of r = 0.9967. The present results, the easy use of the assay by the family doctor and the small technical equipment which is required support the use of this method for the monitorization of blood theophylline levels in outpatients.