[The usefulness of theophylline in the treatment of moderate-severe asthma].

Theophylline has shown itself to be a useful bronchodilator in the treatment of asthma, although its use has been restricted of late due to its lesser potency and greater side effects when compared with beta-adrenergic inhalants. The objective of our study is to evaluate its clinical effectiveness in moderately severe asthma. We study 12 patients with stable chronic asthma on whom a spirometry in basal conditions was performed and after therapeutic levels of theophyllinemia were reached. Peak flow and clinical symptomatology were monitored during one-week periods in both phases of the study. Daytime and night-time symptoms were evaluated independently. No significant changes were observed in the spirometric values. No changes were observed in the bronchodilation test, the concomitant consumption of bronchodilators, or in the maximum expiratory fluids. However, significant differences were observed in the overall computation of symptoms and in the quantification of nocturnal symptoms. We conclude that retarded theophylline presents little usefulness in the treatment of asthma, even though its use can be recommended as symptomatic treatment of nocturnal asthma given its prolonged bronchodilating effect.