Theophylline Therapy
Abstract: theophylline has been used since ages in the treatment of asthma and remains the most widely prescribed anti-asthma drug worldwide, although the progress of newer anti-asthma medications, especially inhaled steroids, has resulted in declining use of theophylline in modern countries.
Theophylline is basically a bronchodilator, but it is progressively more acknowledged that theophylline has other anti-asthma activities, which may be more important. Theophylline, even at low plasma concentrations, inhibits the lateasthmatic reaction following allergen challenge. These clinical pharmacologicalobservations are substantiated by experimental animal and in vitrodata showing that theophylline has several anti-inflammatory activities relevant to asthma. Theseinclude the inhibition of cytokine synthesis and release, the inhibition of inflam-matory cell activation and microvascular leakage, and the prevention of airwayhyperresponsiveness induced by airway inflammation. Theophylline appears tohave immunomodulatory effects, even at relatively low plasma concentrations.
Based on these considerations, theophylline can be regarded as a useful altern-ative to other anti-inflammatory drugs for the chronic treatment of mild to mod-erate asthma. Theophylline should be used at lower doses to achieve plasmaconcentrations of 5–10 mg•, which will avoid the risk of side-effects.
Further studies are required to evaluate the role of low-dose theophylline as an
adjunct
When an asthmatic takes an inhaler “Albuterol sulfate”, the medication works by reducing the inflammation in the airway paths “bronchi and bronchioles” of the lungs, allowing the patient to breath without constriction or symptoms of asthma.
Salbutamol (also known as albuterol in USA) is one of the most famous short-acting β2 agonists. It has become first line treatment for asthma due to its effectiveness. I met this drug in a dispensing session in the first term and I think is a good example of what we have learnt so far. In this essay I will tell you what I know about this drug.
They studied the OTC drugs salbutamol sulfate, formoterol fumarate, and salmeterol xinafoate in vitro by [C-14}-TEA uptake into Proxima(Calu-3) and distal (A549 and NCI-H441) lung epithelial cells and found that it was significantly reduced by the attendance of these OTC drugs. They also confirmed that these drugs make the transport responsible for the beta 2 agonist interaction challenging. “the expression of all five members of the OCT/N family has been confirmed in human pulmonary epithelial cells in situ and in
Particular caution needs to be taken with the use of theophylline in older people because of differences in pharmacokinetics, the increased likelihood of comorbidities and the use of other medications.
Theophylline is one example of xanthine that is usually used to treat bronchial asthma through relaxing the airways. However, this drug may cause severe adverse effects because of its level in the blood. Thus, it is important to teach patient about the use of theophylline. Teach a patient that theophylline can help him to breath easier, decrease wheeze and short of breath if taken exactly as prescribed. The nurse should also tell the patient take the drug of an empty stomach with a full 8-ounc glass of water. If patient has a severe GI problem such as GI upset, nausea, vomiting, heartburn when taking the drug on an empty stomach, the patient may take the drug with food. The patient should swallow all the enteric-coated or time-release capsules. Educating the patient about other common effect of the drug includes restlessness, nervousness, and difficulty in sleeping because of the need of the body to adjust to the usage of this drug. The patient should not take any other stimulant in order to reduce the effect of theophylline on CNS. The nurse should tell the patient that a headache will go away as the patient get used to the drug. However, the patient should notify his physician if the headache is getting worse. The patient should also report any vomiting, severe abdominal pain, tachycardia, confusion, unusual tiredness, muscle twitching, rash, or hives to the physician. There are many drug and food interaction, thus the patient should consult with the doctor about his diet while using theophylline. Additionally, the patient should consult his smoking habit and the use of any over-the-counter medication with the physician. Lastly, the patient should always tell any health care provider in his care about the use of theophylline and to keep the medication in a safe place (Karch, 2013, p.
A type of bronchodilator, aminophylline is a type of muscle relaxation medicine that helps lungs and chest circulate oxygen better. It is used to treat and prevent wheezing, restricted breathing and shortness of breath. The medicine is usually prescribed to those with bronchitis, asthma and lung diseases. As this medication requires a prescription, it is very important for a user to follow the instructions prescribed and take only at the times and the amount prescribed by his or her physician. Aminophylline can be in the form of liquid syrup, a pill or a cream. How this drug works is by making the lungs less sensitive to any allergens or foreign substances that may be inhaled, thus causing the muscles to relax in the chest and lungs and opening up the air passages so that breathing can be easier. It also increases the contractions in the diaphragm which aids better breathing patterns.
A 25-year-old female with a history of seasonal allergies presents with intermittent shortness of breath when exercising for the past 6 months. She also notices occasional waking up at night due to shortness of breath, about 2 times per month. You administer a peak flow and she reaches 75% of her peak flow. What is the best treatment for her condition?
Discuss the roles of medications, ICS for long term anti-inflammatory effect and Beta adrenergic for immediate bronchial dilation.
Avoiding and controlling asthma triggers is important in every phase of the intervention process in order to manage the disease. However, many times because of lack of awareness and education, asthma
Asthmatic individuals can suffer from a reduced quality of life that is both physical and psychological. It was estimated in 2009 that approximately 17.5 million adults, and 7.1 million children suffer from asthma. An estimated total cost of this disease in 2010 was $20.7 billion dollars (Quality, 2014). This paper will focus on Pathopharmacological foundations, pathophysiology, pharmacological treatments, and the social and environmental impacts of asthma on our communities and nation.
The effect of asthma can range from mild, irregular symptoms causing minor problems for an individual to severe and sudden asthma attacks. The extent of what causes asthma is not well known or fully understood but some common triggers include, cold temperatures, dust mites, cockroaches, pollen, sickness, mould and animal hair. When triggered, the airways in the lungs become inflamed and constricted causing shortness of breath, chest pain and wheezing [R]. Currently, there is no cure for asthma however symptoms can be managed with medication and improved living standards [R]. Asthma symptoms are commonly controlled with the use of inhalers, either preventers (taken to desensitizes airways to triggers) or relievers (provides instant relief by relaxing the muscles) [16].
Leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) are montelukast, pranlukast, zafirlukast act mainly by inhibiting the binding of cysteinyl leukotrienes to their respective receptors present both in proinflammatory cells and smooth muscle. Ultimately, it reduces the asthmatic symptoms including airway inflammation, and bronchoconstriction. It is less efficient monotherapy when compared to ICSs for control of persistent asthma, but it play a major role in the treatment of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (Matsuse &
Cromolyn is a dichromone flavonoid derivative, mimics the chemical structure of naturally occurring flavonoids; is an alternative to ICS in mild persistent asthma. It is the most widely used mast cell stabilizer by inhibiting the release of inflammatory chemical mediators from mast cells (Netzer et al.,2012) . Cromolyn is generally well-tolerated and has fewer side effects, it has been delivered by dry powder inhalation, particularly the prophylactic treatment of both allergic and exercise-induced asthma (Crompton,
The generic name for Meptin is Procaterol Hydrochloride (C16H22N2O3 · HCl) [17]. Meptin is a long-acting beta-2-adrenergic receptor agonist that is used to control moderate to severe persistent asthma symptoms [18]. Since it is a long-acting beta agonist, it does not relieve sudden asthma symptoms; rather, it can only help the muscles in the bronchial tubes to relax. Furthermore, its effectivity does not show immediately, but work slowly over time. Moreover, this kind of medicine can improve asthma control only when used in combination with an inhaled corticosteroid medicine [19]. Excessive use of beta-stimulants may lead to arrhythmia and cardiac
Her will to understand and achieve are prominent as she “had a clear vision of where the field of asthma epidemiology was going and she has worked very hard to be at the forefront of the field,” as noted by her associate Scott Weiss (Hyde, 2008). Fernando Martinez, her former mentor, describes her perseverance by saying, “Experts once told Erika to tone down her supposedly radical suggestions that various ‘nasties’ might have protective qualities” (Hyde, 2008). Nonetheless, those very same suggestions she expressed to the derision of other experts are now a deeply integral part of our knowledge of allergies and asthma. However, Von Mutius is not the only researcher to work against the views of experts of the time to reveal surprising and promising