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Fleser L, Tibbetts E, Hanson A, Chu EC, Gura K, Tom C, Williams K, Levy P. Evaluating Gabapentin Dosing, Efficacy and Safety in Infants. J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther 2024; 29:159-168. [PMID: 38596422 PMCID: PMC11001217 DOI: 10.5863/1551-6776-29.2.159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Gabapentin for management of neuropathic pain, irritability, neonatal abstinence syndrome, rescue sedation, feeding intolerance and visceral hyperalgesia in infants has grown over the past decade. There remains little guidance for indications, initiation, titration and maintenance dosing trends and assessment of outcomes. The primary objective was to describe gabapentin dosing, and the secondary objectives were to identify outcomes to assess efficacy and describe weaning practices. METHODS A retrospective single-center study was performed in infants younger than 1 year who received gabapentin at Boston Children's Hospital between 2015 and 2021. The primary outcome was indication, initiation and maximum gabapentin dose. Secondary outcomes included mortality, adverse reactions and impact on feeding volumes, weight-for-age Z-scores and face, legs, activity, cry, consolability (FLACC) scores. Descriptive statistics were utilized. RESULTS Sixty-six infants received gabapentin at a mean ± SD age of 5.5 ± 2.7 months (range of 0-11 months). The mean ± SD initiation dose of gabapentin was 8.6 ± 5.4 mg/kg/day with a median interval of 24 hours (8-24 hours). The maximum mean dose was 23.2 ± 14.4 mg/kg/day at a median interval of every 8 hours (8 hours). The most common indications for initiation were irritability, rescue sedation, and visceral hyperalgesia. There was a statistical improvement in weight-for-age Z scores from 24 hours prior to gabapentin initiation to 2 weeks after the maximum dose of gabapentin (-2.23 ± 1.78 to -1.66 ± 1.91, p < 0.001) and a reduction in FLACC scores (2.29 ± 1.64 to 1.52 ± 1.76, p = 0.007) from 24 hours prior to gabapentin initiation to 3 days after the maximum dose of gabapentin. Three patients experienced minor adverse events. CONCLUSIONS Gabapentin was well tolerated in infants. Initial gabapentin dosing of 5 mg/kg/dose every 24 hours appears safe and consistent with other published studies in infants. The improvement in outcomes with few adverse events suggests a beneficial role for gabapentin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Fleser
- Department of Pharmacy (LF, ET, AH, ECC, KG, CT), Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Erin Tibbetts
- Department of Pharmacy (LF, ET, AH, ECC, KG, CT), Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Alison Hanson
- Department of Pharmacy (LF, ET, AH, ECC, KG, CT), Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Esther Chang Chu
- Department of Pharmacy (LF, ET, AH, ECC, KG, CT), Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Kathleen Gura
- Department of Pharmacy (LF, ET, AH, ECC, KG, CT), Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Crystal Tom
- Department of Pharmacy (LF, ET, AH, ECC, KG, CT), Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Kathryn Williams
- Department of Biostatistics and Research Design Center (KW), Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Philip Levy
- Division of Newborn Medicine (PL), Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
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Rawlinson J, Richards TM, Stevens D, Macfie JM, McDowell I, Macdougall PD, Rice HM, Mason J, Bisley GG, Walt F, Rimington J, Tibbetts E. Robert David Alexander ("Sandy") Coxon William Erik Norman Cummings Nigel John Hunter James MacMaster Macfie Frank McDowell James Barr McWhinnie David Rice John Cornelius Blair Serjeant Joseph Taylor Maurice Lionel Walt Robert James Alan Webb John Frederick ("Jock") Wilkinson. West J Med 1998. [DOI: 10.1136/bmj.316.7133.782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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