The Theophylline (TP) doses, blood TP concentrations and hospitalization duration of patients examined in our hospital due to asthmatic attacks were investigated to determine the usefulness of TDM. A high noncompliance rate was hypothesized in patients with blood TP concentrations of less than 10μg/mL at the time of asthmatic attacks. For such patients, it is important to increase the blood TP concentration to above 10μg/mL as soon as possible, and instructions on how to take the medicine should be given when they visit the outpatient clinic. For patients with blood TP concentrations of more than 10μg/mL at the time of asthmatic attacks, care should be taken not to prescribe an overdose of TP, and other treatment methods should also be consisted. These results show that hospitalization and TP intoxication can be avoided by appropriately performing TDM for asthmatic patients.
