Tuberc Respir Dis.  1987 Jun;34(2):162-167. 10.4046/trd.1987.34.2.162.

Effect of Multiple Dose Oral Activated Charcoal on Theophylline Pharmacokinetics

• KMID: 2528661
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1987.34.2.162

Abstract

The effect of multiple dose oral activated charcoal on theophylline pharmacokinetics was studied in five healthy, non-smoking, Caucasian adults in a randomized crossover clinical trial. Following an intravenous infusion of aminophylline (6 mg/kg) subjects received either (1) activated charcoal 140 gm in divided doses over 12 hours (treatment group) or (2) water (control group). Serum theophylline concentrations were measured from 0 to 24 hours after the aminophylline infusion Pharmacokinetic parmeters were derived by fitting data points a two compaπment model using a non-linear least squares regression computer program. Treatment with activated charcoal decreased serum theophylline t l /2 from 10.3 to 5.1 hours and the serum AUC from 192.9 to 94.5 mcg/ml.hr, and increased total body clearance of thephylline from 0.590 to 1.099 ml/min/kg These results confirm previous reports that multiple dose activated charcoal increased the total body clearance of theophylline in heallthy subjects, and suggests that this treatment may prove to be efficacious in the treatment of theophylline poisoning, especially in areas where hemoperfusion is not avaiable.