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The elimination rate for theophylline varies greatly among patients, but recommendations for maintenance dosing schedules have assumed relatively little intrapatient variability even over extended time periods. Reports of large intrapatient variability of theophylline elimination rate and consequent clearance raise concerns regarding this assumption and also challenge the practice of assuming relative constancy of elimination rate in the performance of bioavailability studies of slow-release formulations. We therefore systematically studied under controlled conditions the elimination rate of theophylline in 10 patients over an extended time interval. The initial elimination rate constants ranged from 0.062 to 0.136 hours-1. The changes ranged from -5.9% to 9.4% of the initial value during intervals of 2 to 11 months. Correlation of the first and second values was 0.96. Thus the elimination rate of theophylline generally appears to vary little within individuals over time when studied under controlled conditions.
G Milavetz, and
L M Vaughan, and
M M Weinberger
April 1986,
Anesthesia and analgesia,
G Milavetz, and
L M Vaughan, and
M M Weinberger
March 1982,
Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics,
G Milavetz, and
L M Vaughan, and
M M Weinberger
January 1979,
Clinical pharmacokinetics,
G Milavetz, and
L M Vaughan, and
M M Weinberger
January 1983,
European journal of clinical pharmacology,
G Milavetz, and
L M Vaughan, and
M M Weinberger
December 1987,
Annals of emergency medicine,
G Milavetz, and
L M Vaughan, and
M M Weinberger
May 1983,
Canadian Medical Association journal,
G Milavetz, and
L M Vaughan, and
M M Weinberger
September 1981,
Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics,
G Milavetz, and
L M Vaughan, and
M M Weinberger
November 1981,
British journal of clinical pharmacology,
G Milavetz, and
L M Vaughan, and
M M Weinberger
November 1982,
Die Medizinische Welt,
G Milavetz, and
L M Vaughan, and
M M Weinberger
November 1983,
Klinische Wochenschrift,
