[Growth hormone (GH) deficiency treatment in children: comparison between uses of pen versus bottles/syringes on GH administration]

Non-pharmacological management of infant and young child procedural pain

BACKGROUND

Despite evidence of the long-term implications of unrelieved pain during infancy, it is evident that infant pain is still under-managed and unmanaged. Inadequately managed pain in infancy, a period of exponential development, can have implications across the lifespan. Therefore, a comprehensive and systematic review of pain management strategies is integral to appropriate infant pain management. This is an update of a previously published review update in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2015, Issue 12) of the same title.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy and adverse events of non-pharmacological interventions for infant and child (aged up to three years) acute pain, excluding kangaroo care, sucrose, breastfeeding/breast milk, and music.

SEARCH METHODS

For this update, we searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE-Ovid platform, EMBASE-OVID platform, PsycINFO-OVID platform, CINAHL-EBSCO platform and trial registration websites (ClinicalTrials.gov; International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) (March 2015 to October 2020). An update search was completed in July 2022, but studies identified at this point were added to 'Awaiting classification' for a future update.  We also searched reference lists and contacted researchers via electronic list-serves.  We incorporated 76 new studies into the review.  SELECTION CRITERIA: Participants included infants from birth to three years in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or cross-over RCTs that had a no-treatment control comparison. Studies were eligible for inclusion in the analysis if they compared a non-pharmacological pain management strategy to a no-treatment control group (15 different strategies). In addition, we also analysed studies when the unique effect of adding a non-pharmacological pain management strategy onto another pain management strategy could be assessed (i.e. additive effects on a sweet solution, non-nutritive sucking, or swaddling) (three strategies). The eligible control groups for these additive studies were sweet solution only, non-nutritive sucking only, or swaddling only, respectively. Finally, we qualitatively described six interventions that met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the review, but not in the analysis.  DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The outcomes assessed in the review were pain response (reactivity and regulation) and adverse events. The level of certainty in the evidence and risk of bias were based on the Cochrane risk of bias tool and the GRADE approach. We analysed the standardised mean difference (SMD) using the generic inverse variance method to determine effect sizes.  MAIN RESULTS: We included total of 138 studies (11,058 participants), which includes an additional 76 new studies for this update. Of these 138 studies, we analysed 115 (9048 participants) and described 23 (2010 participants) qualitatively. We described qualitatively studies that could not be meta-analysed due to being the only studies in their category or statistical reporting issues. We report the results of the 138 included studies here. An SMD effect size of 0.2 represents a small effect, 0.5 a moderate effect, and 0.8 a large effect. The thresholds for the I2 interpretation were established as follows: not important (0% to 40%); moderate heterogeneity (30% to 60%); substantial heterogeneity (50% to 90%); considerable heterogeneity (75% to 100%). The most commonly studied acute procedures were heel sticks (63 studies) and needlestick procedures for the purposes of vaccines/vitamins (35 studies). We judged most studies to have high risk of bias (103 out of 138), with the most common methodological concerns relating to blinding of personnel and outcome assessors. Pain responses were examined during two separate pain phases: pain reactivity (within the first 30 seconds after the acutely painful stimulus) and immediate pain regulation (after the first 30 seconds following the acutely painful stimulus). We report below the strategies with the strongest evidence base for each age group. In preterm born neonates, non-nutritive sucking may reduce pain reactivity (SMD -0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.03 to -0.11, moderate effect; I2 = 93%, considerable heterogeneity) and improve immediate pain regulation (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -0.95 to -0.27, moderate effect; I2 = 81%, considerable heterogeneity), based on very low-certainty evidence. Facilitated tucking may also reduce pain reactivity (SMD -1.01, 95% CI -1.44 to -0.58, large effect; I2 = 93%, considerable heterogeneity) and improve immediate pain regulation (SMD -0.59, 95% CI -0.92 to -0.26, moderate effect; I2 = 87%, considerable heterogeneity); however, this is also based on very low-certainty evidence. While swaddling likely does not reduce pain reactivity in preterm neonates (SMD -0.60, 95% CI -1.23 to 0.04, no effect; I2 = 91%, considerable heterogeneity), it has been shown to possibly improve immediate pain regulation (SMD -1.21, 95% CI -2.05 to -0.38, large effect; I2 = 89%, considerable heterogeneity), based on very low-certainty evidence. In full-term born neonates, non-nutritive sucking may reduce pain reactivity (SMD -1.13, 95% CI -1.57 to -0.68, large effect; I2 = 82%, considerable heterogeneity) and improve immediate pain regulation (SMD -1.49, 95% CI -2.20 to -0.78, large effect; I2 = 92%, considerable heterogeneity), based on very low-certainty evidence.  In full-term born older infants, structured parent involvement was the intervention most studied. Results showed that this intervention has little to no effect in reducing pain reactivity (SMD -0.18, 95% CI -0.40 to 0.03, no effect; I2 = 46%, moderate heterogeneity) or improving immediate pain regulation (SMD -0.09, 95% CI -0.40 to 0.21, no effect; I2 = 74%, substantial heterogeneity), based on low- to moderate-certainty evidence. Of these five interventions most studied, only two studies observed adverse events, specifically vomiting (one preterm neonate) and desaturation (one full-term neonate hospitalised in the NICU) following the non-nutritive sucking intervention. The presence of considerable heterogeneity limited our confidence in the findings for certain analyses, as did the preponderance of evidence of very low to low certainty based on GRADE judgements.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Overall, non-nutritive sucking, facilitated tucking, and swaddling may reduce pain behaviours in preterm born neonates. Non-nutritive sucking may also reduce pain behaviours in full-term neonates. No interventions based on a substantial body of evidence showed promise in reducing pain behaviours in older infants. Most analyses were based on very low- or low-certainty grades of evidence and none were based on high-certainty evidence. Therefore, the lack of confidence in the evidence would require further research before we could draw a definitive conclusion.

Improvement of treatment adherence with growth hormone by easypod™ device: experience of an Italian centre

BACKGROUND

One of the most important vulnerabilities falling the efficacy of recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) treatment is low adherence especially in young patients. This study was planned to describe the correlation between r-hGH treatment efficacy and adherence in real-life setting using easypod™.

METHODS

Forty patients younger than 18 years, affected by a clinical condition in which r-hGH is available and treated with r-hGH easypod™, were enrolled in a retrospective, observational, real-world data, monocentric trial. The study design provided the retrospective collection of records collected by a questionnaire proposed to the patients and their parents and compared with registered data by the new generation electronic device r-hGH easypod™. Number of injections and doses were collected and used to assess the percentage of administered GH doses to measure treatment adherence. The r-hGH treatment efficacy was evaluated comparing standard deviation score for height (SDS) between baseline and follow-up visit, according to clinical practice.

RESULTS

The mean treatment adherence was 92.20% and it was inversely related to patients' age (R = - 0.358, p = 0.023), and significantly higher in the sub-group of patients with age between 10 and 13 years. Treatment adherence showed an inverse correlation with the years of therapy (R = - 0.453, p = 0.003) and with the number of r-hGH administrations (R = - 0.392, p = 0.012). However, the height increase did not reach a significant correlation with treatment adherence (R = - 0.067, p = 0.683).

CONCLUSIONS

Children and adolescent patients with GH deficiency due to different clinical conditions show high adherence to r-hGH treatment tested by easypod™. Easypod™ could be used as an important device to control patients' adherence in daily treatment for chronic diseases with expensive drugs.

Adherence to growth hormone therapy in children and its potential barriers

BACKGROUND

One of the main concerns in chronic diseases such as growth hormone (GH) deficiency is adherence to the treatment, which significantly affects treatment outcomes.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 169 GH recipient children (2-12 years) and teens (13-19 years) referred to a GH distributing teaching pharmacy. The eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) and auto-compliance method were used for the assessment of patients' adherence to GH. The potential barriers to GH therapy adherence and medication persistence were also explored.

RESULTS

Based on the MMAS method, 56.7% of the children and 57.9% of the adolescent groups were adherent to GH therapy. Conversely, according to the auto-compliance method almost all the patients were adherent in the children (95.2%) and adolescent (95.5%) groups. Forgetting to take the injection or refill the prescription, being away from home, exhaustion from long-term injection, drug shortage and inaccessibility to the pharmacy were barriers found to be significantly associated with a low adherence in the children group. While in the adolescent group, forgetting to take the injection, painful injection, concern about long-term complications and exhaustion from long-term injection revealed a significant association with low adherence. Persistence with GH therapy was reported in 75.3% and 67% of children and adolescent patients, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study revealed that overall adherence of the study population is low. Considering the barriers with significant association with adherence, different strategies can be incorporated to enhance adherence to GH therapy, i.e. providing early patient and parent education and support, medication reminder systems and longer duration of GH prescriptions.

Adherence in children with growth hormone deficiency treated with r-hGH and the easypod™ device

PURPOSE

Poor adherence to recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) therapy is associated with reduced growth velocity in children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). This twelve-month observational study was to assess adherence in r-hGH patients treated with the easypod^™, an electronic, fully automated injection device designed to track the time, date and dose administered.

METHODS

Ninety-seven prepubertal patients receiving r-hGH therapy were included in the study from ten Italian clinical sites and 88 completed the study. To avoid possible confounding effects, only GHD patients (79/88; 89.7 % of the overall study population) were considered in the final analysis. The primary endpoint-adherence to treatment-was calculated as the proportion of injections correctly administered during the observational period out of the expected total number of injections. The relevant information, tracked by the easypod^™, was collected at months 6 (V1) and 12 (V2) after baseline (V0). At study termination, adherence data were partially available from 16 patients and fully available from 53 patients. As secondary endpoints, serum IGF-1 levels, fasting serum glucose and insulin levels and key anthropometric characteristics (height, waist circumference and BMI) were also determined.

RESULTS

The easypod^™ data showed that 56.7 % of the patients were considered to be fully (≥92 %) adherent to their treatment throughout the period V0-V2. Treatment improved stature, significantly increased IGF-1 and produced a non-significant increase in blood glucose and insulin levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The injection-recording system and other characteristics of easypod^™ could enhance the ability of physicians to monitor adherence to r-hGH treatment.

Non-pharmacological management of infant and young child procedural pain

BACKGROUND

Infant acute pain and distress is commonplace. Infancy is a period of exponential development. Unrelieved pain and distress can have implications across the lifespan.  This is an update of a previously published review in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 10 2011 entitled 'Non-pharmacological management of infant and young child procedural pain'.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for infant and child (up to three years) acute pain, excluding kangaroo care, and music. Analyses were run separately for infant age (preterm, neonate, older) and pain response (pain reactivity, immediate pain regulation). 

SEARCH METHODS

For this update, we searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library (Issue 2 of 12, 2015), MEDLINE-Ovid platform (March 2015), EMBASE-OVID platform (April 2011 to March 2015), PsycINFO-OVID platform (April 2011 to February 2015), and CINAHL-EBSCO platform (April 2011 to March 2015). We also searched reference lists and contacted researchers via electronic list-serves. New studies were incorporated into the review. We refined search strategies with a Cochrane-affiliated librarian. For this update, nine articles from the original 2011 review pertaining to Kangaroo Care were excluded, but 21 additional studies were added.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Participants included infants from birth to three years. Only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or RCT cross-overs that had a no-treatment control comparison were eligible for inclusion in the analyses. However, when the additive effects of a non-pharmacological intervention could be assessed, these studies were also included. We examined studies that met all inclusion criteria except for study design (e.g. had an active control) to qualitatively contextualize results. There were 63 included articles in the current update.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Study quality ratings and risk of bias were based on the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and GRADE approach. We analysed the standardized mean difference (SMD) using the generic inverse variance method.

MAIN RESULTS

Sixty-three studies, with 4905 participants, were analysed. The most commonly studied acute procedures were heel-sticks (32 studies) and needles (17 studies). The largest SMD for treatment improvement over control conditions on pain reactivity were: non-nutritive sucking-related interventions (neonate: SMD -1.20, 95% CI -2.01 to -0.38) and swaddling/facilitated tucking (preterm: SMD -0.89; 95% CI -1.37 to -0.40). For immediate pain regulation, the largest SMDs were: non-nutritive sucking-related interventions (preterm: SMD -0.43; 95% CI -0.63 to -0.23; neonate: SMD -0.90; 95% CI -1.54 to -0.25; older infant: SMD -1.34; 95% CI -2.14 to -0.54), swaddling/facilitated tucking (preterm: SMD -0.71; 95% CI -1.00 to -0.43), and rocking/holding (neonate: SMD -0.75; 95% CI -1.20 to -0.30). Fifty two of our 63 trials did not report adverse events. The presence of significant heterogeneity limited our confidence in the findings for certain analyses, as did the preponderance of very low quality evidence.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is evidence that different non-pharmacological interventions can be used with preterms, neonates, and older infants to significantly manage pain behaviors associated with acutely painful procedures. The most established evidence was for non-nutritive sucking, swaddling/facilitated tucking, and rocking/holding. All analyses reflected that more research is needed to bolster our confidence in the direction of the findings. There are significant gaps in the existing literature on non-pharmacological management of acute pain in infancy.

Non-pharmacological management of infant and young child procedural pain

BACKGROUND

Infant acute pain and distress is commonplace. Infancy is a period of exponential development. Unrelieved pain and distress can have implications across the lifespan. 

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for infant and child (up to three years) acute pain, excluding breastmilk, sucrose, and music. Analyses accounted for infant age (preterm, neonate, older) and pain response (pain reactivity, pain-related regulation). 

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched CENTRAL in The Cochrane Library (2011, Issue 1), MEDLINE (1966 to April 2011), EMBASE (1980 to April 2011), PsycINFO (1967 to April 2011), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (1982 to 2011), Dissertation Abstracts International (1980 to 2011) and www.clinicaltrials.gov. We also searched reference lists and contacted researchers via electronic list-serves.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Participants included infants from birth to three years. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or RCT cross-overs that had a no-treatment control comparison were eligible for inclusion in the analyses. We examined studies that met all inclusion criteria except for study design (e.g. had an active control) to qualitatively contextualize results.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We refined search strategies with three Cochrane-affiliated librarians. At least two review authors extracted and rated 51 articles. Study quality ratings were based on a scale by Yates and colleagues. We analyzed the standardized mean difference (SMD) using the generic inverse variance method. We also provided qualitative descriptions of 20 relevant but excluded studies.

MAIN RESULTS

Fifty-one studies, with 3396 participants, were analyzed. The most commonly studied acute procedures were heel-sticks (29 studies) and needles (n = 10 studies). The largest SMD for treatment improvement over control conditions on pain reactivity were: non-nutritive sucking-related interventions (preterm: SMD -0.42; 95% CI -0.68 to -0.15; neonate: SMD -1.45, 95% CI -2.34 to -0.57), kangaroo care (preterm: SMD -1.12, 95% CI -2.04 to -0.21), and swaddling/facilitated tucking (preterm: SMD -0.97; 95% CI -1.63 to -0.31). For immediate pain-related regulation, the largest SMDs were: non-nutritive sucking-related interventions (preterm: SMD -0.38; 95% CI -0.59 to -0.17; neonate: SMD -0.90, 95% CI -1.54 to -0.25), kangaroo care (SMD -0.77, 95% CI -1.50 to -0.03), swaddling/facilitated tucking (preterm: SMD -0.75; 95% CI -1.14 to -0.36), and rocking/holding (neonate: SMD -0.75; 95% CI -1.20 to -0.30). The presence of significant heterogeneity limited our confidence in the lack of findings for certain analyses.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is evidence that different non-pharmacological interventions can be used with preterms, neonates, and older infants to significantly manage pain behaviors associated with acutely painful procedures.

Treatment adherence with the easypod™ growth hormone electronic auto-injector and patient acceptance: survey results from 824 children and their parents

BACKGROUND

Accurately monitoring adherence to treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) enables appropriate intervention in cases of poor adherence. The electronic r-hGH auto-injector, easypod™, automatically records the patient's adherence to treatment. This study evaluated adherence to treatment of children who started using the auto-injector and assessed opinions about the device.

METHODS

A multicentre, multinational, observational 3-month survey in which children received r-hGH as part of their normal care. Physicians reviewed the recorded dose history and children (with or without parental assistance) completed a questionnaire-based survey. Children missing ≤2 injections per month (92% of injections given) were considered adherent to treatment. Adherence was compared between GH treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced children.

RESULTS

Of 834 recruited participants, 824 were evaluated. The median (range) age was 11 (1-18) years. From the recorded dose history, 87.5% of children were adherent to treatment over the 3-month period. Recorded adherence was higher in treatment-naïve (89.7%, n = 445/496) than in treatment-experienced children (81.7%, n = 152/186) [Fisher's exact test FI(X) = 7.577; p = 0.0062]. According to self-reported data, 90.2% (607/673) of children were adherent over 3 months; 51.5% (421/817) missed ≥1 injection over this period (mainly due to forgetfulness). Concordance between reported and recorded adherence was 84.3%, with a trend towards self-reported adherence being higher than recorded adherence. Most children liked the auto-injector: over 80% gave the top two responses from five options for ease of use (720/779), speed (684/805) and comfort (716/804). Although 38.5% (300/780) of children reported pain on injection, over half of children (210/363) considered the pain to be less or much less than expected. Given the choice, 91.8% (732/797) of children/parents would continue using the device.

CONCLUSIONS

easypod™ provides an accurate method of monitoring adherence to treatment with r-hGH. In children who received treatment with r-hGH using easypod™, short-term adherence is good, and significantly higher in treatment-naïve children compared with experienced children. Children/parents rate the device highly. The high level of acceptability of the device is reflected by a desire to continue using it by over 90% of the children in the survey.

Ease of use and acceptability of a new pen device for the administration of growth hormone therapy in pediatric patients: an open-label, uncontrolled usability test

BACKGROUND

Recombinant human growth hormone (GH) is used for the treatment of several conditions associated with growth retardation and metabolic dysfunction. These patients are typically diagnosed and treated from childhood, and treatment adherence in children might be problematic. To potentially improve treatment adherence in children who self-inject GH, it is important that devices for the administration of GH are simple to learn to use, simple to use, and well accepted by patients and their parents or guardians.

OBJECTIVE

This study compared the usability and acceptability of the Norditropin FlexPro pen and NovoFine needles (Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) for the administration of GH in pediatric patients with GH deficiency (GHD).

METHODS

Patients aged 10 to <18 years with GHD and who were receiving daily treatment with selfinjectable GH were included in this open-label, uncontrolled usability test. Patients used the Norditropin FlexPro pen and NovoFine G32 needles to inject test medium into an injection pad; this test was repeated. For the assessment of patients' acceptance of the device, patients completed a 21-item questionnaire regarding pen performance before and during injection.

RESULTS

Seventy patients participated in the study (mean age, 14 years; 67% male; 23% left-handed). No significant differences in demographic characteristics (age, sex, duration of treatment with GH, current device used, and left- or right-handedness) were found between boys and girls, younger and older children, or children who had been receiving short-term (months) or long-term (years) GH treatment. Sixty-eight patients (97%) rated attachment of the needle, priming the device, dialing up the dose, and reading the scale on the device as very easy or quite easy. A total of 99% of patients rated injection of their usual dose and of a 4-mg dose as very easy or quite easy, and pushing the dose button as very easy or quite easy as well as very comfortable or quite comfortable. All of the patients rated hearing the click while performing the injection as very easy or easy. Overall, 64% of patients indicated a preference for the Norditropin FlexPro pen over the device they were currently using.

CONCLUSIONS

In this preliminary usability test in pediatric patients, the Norditropin FlexPro pen was perceived as reliable and easy to use and was well accepted. There was also a high level of comfort that GH had been injected properly and that the correct dose had been delivered among the children and adolescents with GHD who participated in the study.

[News options and preparations in growth hormone therapy]

In the last twenty years, recombinant human Growth hormone (hrGH) has been available for the treatment of Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) in children and more recently in adults. However, the necessity of daily injections compromises the patient's compliance. Attempts to improve this compliance includes the use of pens and needle free devices, once the infusion pumps, not always physiologic, are of restricted use. When growth is the purpose of treatment, daily subcutaneous hrGH is still the most indicated. Nevertheless the expansion of GH replacement to new uses and especially in adults will need new preparations. Nowadays, the oral secretagogues have not proved efficacy to be used in clinical practice and the slow- release preparations of GH and GH releasing hormone that could improve the patient's compliance will need to be studied considering long term efficacy and safety.