CLARIFICATION
Abstract
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLARIFICATION Dr. Weinberger's comments certainly identify a number of variables that can influence the effects of theophylline. We would like to respond to those that Dr. Weinberger specifically stated as potential factors causing a deviation in our results'" from those of his group.'2» Our dosing titration procedure was very similar to that described by the Weinberger group.'2' In fact, in some cases it was even more conservative and would not explain the differences in the results of the two studies. Because it is possible that parents can be the source of drug administration problems in children, we assessed the reliability of the parents with respect to dosing instructions and actual administration. The product formulation issue is certainly important, and we indeed selected only those brands known to be reliable sustained-release formulations.'3-4» The timing of blood samples for theophylline level determinations was appropriate for the release characteristics of the formulation selected. The purpose of our study is to identify potential association of theophylline with central nervous system stimulation in young children. We continue to respect the role of theophylline as an important therapeutic agent in the management of chronic asthma. We appreciate the opportunity to