Comparison of enprofylline and theophylline for intravenous treatment of acute asthma.

Thirty-nine patients with asthma requiring acute treatment were included in a randomized, double-blind, parallel study which compared the effect of enprofylline (1.0 mg/kg) and theophylline (3.0 mg/kg). The drugs were given intravenously over a period of 10 min. Peak flow (PEF), heart rate and plasma concentrations of the drugs were determined before and after the injection. Both enprofylline and theophylline significantly increased the PEF 30 min after the injection, the mean increases over the baseline values being 21% and 23%, respectively. The clinical effects assessed by the patient and the physician and the significant decreases in heart rate were similar for the two drugs. Side effects were rare. Thus, 1.0 mg/kg of enprofylline was comparable to 3.0 mg/kg of theophylline in the treatment of patients with acute asthma.