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  • Letter to the Editor
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Reply to: ‘Is the use of prophylactic theophylline safe for the prevention of severe renal dysfunction in term and post-term neonates with perinatal asphyxia?’

Journal of Perinatology volume 34, pages 82–83 (2014)Cite this article

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We thank Dr Aydin and co-authors1 for their thoughtful letter and we realize the importance of their comments.

One of the challenges of using theophylline in neonates is that different blood levels are needed for different indications. While theophylline serum levels of 7 to 12 μg ml−1 are often recommended for the control of apnea of prematurity,2, 3 concentrations below 5 mg l−1 are optimal in cases of prevention of severe renal dysfunction.4 Moreover, the optimal theophylline-loading dose that will safely result in recommended serum levels is not well established. Only one trial in our systematic review reported theophylline level, and the loading dose used in the included trials was variable.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    H Al-Wassia

  2. Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    H Al-Wassia

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  1. H Al-Wassia
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Correspondence to H Al-Wassia.

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Al-Wassia, H. Reply to: ‘Is the use of prophylactic theophylline safe for the prevention of severe renal dysfunction in term and post-term neonates with perinatal asphyxia?’. J Perinatol 34, 82–83 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2013.130

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2013.130

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