[Plasma theophylline level in patients with bronchial asthma treated with novphyllin]

The authors followed up the plasma theophylline level in 51 patients with bronchial asthma treated with novphyllin. Plasma theophylline level was determined (according to Jatlow--1975) before novphyllin intake and by 1, 2, 4 and 8 hour after it. The investigation was repeated in 18 patients on 4 th day after the systematic novphyllin treatment. The study revealed that plasma theophylline concentration gradually increased till the second hour after the intake of the preparation in all patients, whereafter it started to decrease. By 60 min since the beginning of the experiment the therapeutic plasma theophylline level (from 10 to 20 and over 20 mg/ml) was found in 31.25 per cent of the patients, by the second hour--in 50.99 per cent, by the fourth hour--in 28 per cent and by the eighth--only in 12.19 per cent. After a three-day novphyllin treatment, under the same investigation conditions, it was established that the therapeutic plasma theophylline level was observed twice more often by the fourth hour (44.44%). In patients, administered nophyllin and antibiotics in combination (tetraolean and rhondomycin), the plasma theophylline level was faster increased and was longer maintained within the therapeutic limits. The authors underlined that the therapeutic effect of the preparation begins after reaching a plasma level of 5 mg/ml, but has its maximum effect at a plasma concentration over 10 mg/ml.