Gabapentin for the treatment of pain manifestations in children with severe neurological impairment: A single-centre retrospective review

Gabapentin for the treatment of pain manifestations in children with severe neurological impairment: A single-centre retrospective review

Collins A; Mannion R; Broderick A; Hussey S; Devins M; Bourke B

BMJ Paediatrics Open

2019

child; human; retrospective study; clinical article; palliative care; pain; priority journal; review; alopecia/si [Side Effect]; disease severity; drug efficacy; drug substitution; drug withdrawal; gabapentin/ae [Adverse Drug Reaction]; gabapentin/dt [Drug Therapy]; gabapentin/pv [Special Situation for Pharmacovigilance]; gastroenterology; general paediatrics; hypertransaminasemia/si [Side Effect]; irritability; lethargy/si [Side Effect]; muscle twitch; neurodisability; neurologic disease; pain/dt [Drug Therapy]; pregabalin/dt [Drug Therapy]; pregabalin/pv [Special Situation for Pharmacovigilance]; treatment duration; treatment response; vomiting/dt [Drug Therapy]; vomiting/si [Side Effect]

Pain, irritability and feeding intolerance are common symptoms affecting quality of life in children with severe neurological impairment (SNI). We performed a retrospective study to explore the use of gabapentinoid medications for symptom control in children with SNI. Patients attending the palliative care or gastroenterology department being treated with gabapentin for irritability, vomiting or pain of unknown origin were included. Information was gathered retrospectively from medical documentation. Irritability was reduced in 30 of the 42 patients included. Gabapentin was discontinued in 15 children, 12 of whom then received pregabalin. Three children had a good response to pregabalin, six a minimal improvement and three no improvement. These results support the use of gabapentinoids in this patient cohort. Copyright © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019.

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