The Seralyzer reflectance photometer was evaluated in three ambulatory settings. Of the total 99 assays in the pediatric general medicine clinic, 47 were below the therapeutic range, and 20 patients were noncompliant. There were 13 low and nine high levels along with 22 noncompliant patients detected from a total of 109 in the allergy clinic. The physician's office documented 43 low and four high levels along with 10 noncompliant patients from 105 assays. The mean time required for Seralyzer results in both the allergy and pediatric general medicine clinic was 13 minutes. Regression analysis of both finger-stick and venipuncture split samples indicated a strong correlation between Seralyzer results and traditional methods of assay (r = 0.94 and 0.99, respectively). The Seralyzer proved accurate, timely, and simple to operate.

No abstract

The transition from intravenous (IY) to oral theophylline in patients hospitalized for asthma frequently is haphazard, with little regard for maintaining therapeutic levels. This study, involving 14 pediatrie patients, investigated several methods of transition from IY to oral, sustained-release theophylline. Our results demonstrated that an oral dose of a theophylline sustained-release product, administered at the time of the last intermittent IV aminophylline dose, provides a smooth transition from IV to oral therapy. Computer analysis demonstrated that when the oral theophylline product was first administered at time intervals of 4 hours or more after the intermittent IV dose, subtherapeutic levels occurred during the conversion period. For patients receiving continuous theophylline infusions, the oral product is best given at the time of discontinuation of the infusion but will be effective if given within 2 hours of the discontinuation of the infusion.