Theophylline compliance in adolescent patients with chronic asthma

Twenty-one chronic asthma patients ages 12 to 17 years were studied to determine their compliance in taking medication. Serum theophylline concentrations were determined and theophylline dosage (milligrams per kilogram body weight per day) was calculated in participants who had allegedly followed their medication regimen. Although the theophylline dosage followed the guidelines in the literature, only 10% of the patients had serum levels in the therapeutic range. This study suggests that noncompliance among adolescent asthmatics is similar to the noncompliance found in adolescents with other chronic illnesses and that physicians should use drug levels in designing optimal short- and long-term management programs. Further, it emphasizes the need for physicians to educate their patients as to the therapeutic actions of the medication they are taking and the necessity of medication compliance.