[Evaluation of theophylline in children hospitalized with asthma attack].

The purpose of this study is to determine whether theophylline provides clinical benefits in the hospitalized children with asthma attack. Aminophylline was intravenously given to the 50 patients (Group A) who were admitted 1994. A small dose of aminophylline compared to that of Group A was given to the 44 patients (Group B1) who were admitted 1998. On the other hand, aminophylline was not given to the 12 patients (Group B2) who were admitted 1998. However, there were no differences among those groups in the duration of admission, in the total dose of intravenously given methylprednisolone, and in the improvement of clinical score of asthma. These results suggested that there was no clinical benefit in using theophylline for treatment to hospitalized children with asthma attack combined high fever.