QLexNursing

🟦 Theophylline is a bronchodilator in the methylxanthine class, and its primary therapeutic effect is bronchial smooth muscle relaxation, which leads to bronchodilation.

🟦 This opens narrowed airways and improves airflow for clients with asthma, COPD, or other chronic respiratory conditions.

🟦 By reducing airway resistance, theophylline helps decrease work of breathing and improves oxygenation.

🟦 The medication works through phosphodiesterase inhibition, increasing cyclic AMP to maintain bronchodilation.

🟦 While it has mild anti-inflammatory properties, its main purpose remains airway dilation, not secretion thinning or leukotriene modification.

🟦 Teaching should emphasize expected breathing improvement, as well as monitoring for toxicity due to its narrow therapeutic range.

Reduces inflammation

🟦 Theophylline is not a primary anti-inflammatory medication; corticosteroids perform this function.

🟦 It cannot be relied upon to control airway inflammation in asthma.

Loosens secretions

🟦 Loosening mucus is the action of expectorants or mucolytics, not theophylline.

🟦 Theophylline does not modify mucus viscosity.

Blocks leukotrienes

🟦 This action describes leukotriene modifiers such as montelukast, not theophylline.

🟦 Theophylline does not affect leukotriene pathways.