[Clinical review of patients with seizures that developed during theophylline administration--(III) Safety of theophylline examined in patients who had sequelae or died].

OBJECTIVE

To examine the causes of sequelae or death of patients who presented them subsequently to seizures that developed during theophylline administration.

METHODS

Among 334 patients who had been examined in Study (I), we extracted 56 who had sequelae or died subsequently to the onset of seizures and examined their causes.

RESULTS

Many patients had fever at the onset of seizures, many patients had neurologic predispositions prior to seizure onset, and only one patient was found to be free from fever and neurologic findings. At the onset of seizures, most of these patients had blood theophylline concentrations that were within or inferior to the target range (5-15 microg/mL).

CONCLUSIONS

We presume it necessary to pay heed to fever and neurologic predispositions in order to prevent sequelae or death that may occur subsequently to seizures that developed during theophylline administration.