Dose-dependent kinetics of theophylline.

This article reviews the background and current status of knowledge regarding the nonlinear kinetics of theophylline. The metabolic and renal mechanisms of nonlinearity and their significance with respect to single and multiple doses of theophylline are reviewed. Major implications of nonlinearity in theophylline kinetics with respect to bioavailability studies, predictions of steady-state serum theophylline concentrations, and dosage adjustments at steady state are presented in detail.