PMID: 9173422Mar 1, 1997Paper

Therapy of nocturnal asthma: salmeterol versus nocturnal administration of retard theophylline--comparison of effectiveness and tolerance

Pneumologie
D UkenaG W Sybrecht

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy and the tolerability of salmeterol and theophylline in patients with nocturnal asthma. 16 patients were entered into a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial. Using a double-dummy technique, salmeterol (50 micrograms b.i.d. by MDI) or theophylline (Uniphyllin; 600 mg nocte orally) were given for periods of 7 days with a wash-out period of 7 days between treatment periods. With salmeterol the number of nights with an overnight fall in peak expiratory peak flow rate (PEFR) of at least 20% was reduced by about 20% compared to about 10% with theophyllin (p < 0.05 for the difference between salmeterol and theophylline). With respect to nocturnal symptoms 62.6% of the patients had rare or non symptoms without and 84.7% with salmeterol, compared to 46.5% without and 67.3% with theophylline (p < 0.05). With respect to the improvement of early morning symptoms, the increase of nights with none or rare symptoms was 46.2% with salmeterol compared to 25.8% with theophylline. The overall parameter of efficacy defined as a) the number of nights with an overnight fall in PEFR or less than 20% als well as b) none or rare nocturnal symptoms and c) none or rare early morning symptoms in...Continue Reading

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