Theophylline overdose: acute single ingestion versus chronic repeated overmedication

Currently available guidelines for managing theophylline intoxication do not distinguish between acute single ingestion and chronic repeated overmedication and do not reliably predict which patients should undergo hemoperfusion. Although hemoperfusion is widely recommended when serum concentrations exceed 40-60 mg/l, many patients with acute overdose tolerate much higher levels without serious toxicity. Because manifestations of toxicity might be dependent on the chronicity of the overdose, the authors retrospectively compared the clinical features of 15 patients with chronic repeated overmedication with those of 27 patients suffering acute single overdose. Patients suffering chronic repeated overmedication developed seizures (7/15) and serious arrhythmias (4/15) with serum levels of 28-70 mg/l. By contrast, only one of 19 patients suffering acute single overdose with peak levels less than 100 mg/l had seizures, and only two of 19 with levels less than 100 mg/l had serious arrhythmias. However, of the eight single-overdose patients with levels over 100 mg/l, seven had seizures and three had serious arrhythmias. Single-overdose patients were easily recognized by the presence of hypotension, hypokalemia, and low serum bicarbonate, features not present in chronic-type patients. Thus, while patients with theophylline overdose caused by chronic repeated overmedication frequently develop seizures and arrhythmias with serum levels of 40-70 mg/l, those with acute single ingestion are highly unlikely to suffer serious complications unless serum levels exceed 100 mg/l. Management of the intoxication, especially selection of patients for hemoperfusion, should be based on whether the overdose is caused by an acute single ingestion or chronic repeated overmedication.