Abstract | INTRODUCTION: PATIENTS AND METHODS: RESULTS: Fourteen patients were identified. The mean gestational age was 30.1 weeks (range 24.4-40.7 weeks); three patients were full-term. Eleven had been on intravenous fentanyl for sedation; three were born to opioid-dependent mothers. All patients were treated with clonidine, administered in doses of 0.5-1.0 mcg/kg orally every 6 h. No patient received opioids. Mean duration of treatment was 6.8 days (range 4-15). Mean abstinence scores were 6.4 pretreatment (range 0-20) and 1.9 posttreatment (range 0-5). No patients suffered an adverse event ( hypotension, bradycardia, excessive sedation, and oxygen desaturation) from clonidine administration, and no seizures were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that clonidine may be a reasonable alternative to more traditional agents used to prevent or treat NAS. We agree with the statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs that states that larger trials and pharmacologic data are needed before the routine use of clonidine can be recommended.
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Authors | Jerrold B Leikin, William P Mackendrick, Gerry E Maloney, James W Rhee, Elaine Farrell, Michael Wahl, Karen Kelly |
Journal | Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
(Clin Toxicol (Phila))
Vol. 47
Issue 6
Pg. 551-5
(Jul 2009)
ISSN: 1556-9519 [Electronic] England |
PMID | 19566381
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Chemical References |
- Adrenergic alpha-Agonists
- Hypnotics and Sedatives
- Clonidine
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Topics |
- Administration, Oral
- Adrenergic alpha-Agonists
(therapeutic use)
- Clonidine
(therapeutic use)
- Drug Therapy, Combination
- Female
- Gestational Age
- Humans
- Hypnotics and Sedatives
(therapeutic use)
- Infant, Newborn
- Male
- Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
(drug therapy, physiopathology)
- Severity of Illness Index
- Treatment Outcome
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