[Effectiveness of continuous infusion of tizanidine (Ternelin) via a feeding tube for patients with the mixed type of tetraplegia].

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Severe muscle hypertonia in patients with the mixed type of tetraplegia may be associated with significant deterioration in the quality of life of the patients. Intermittent use of oral muscle relaxant drugs, for example, Tizanidine (Ternelin), which is a fast-acting muscle relaxant, can provide relief from the severe hypertonia in these patients, but only for short durations.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective study of the effect of continuous infusion of tizanidine via a feeding tube on the severe systemic muscle hypertonia in patients with the mixed type of tetraplegia. We mixed tizanidine with milk or other enteral nutrients and administered the mixture via a naso-duodenal tube at a constant infusion rate several hours to 5 patients with the mixed type of tetraplegia showing severe uncontrolled systemic hypertonia under intermittent treatment with oral muscle relaxant drugs.

RESULTS:

Significant relief from the systemic muscle hypertonia was obtained in 4 of the 5 patients with improvement of the quality of life of the patients, e. g., they could get adequate sleep. There were no serious side effects in any of the cases.

CONCLUSION:

We consider that continuous infusion of tizanidine via a feeding tube would be useful for the treatment of severe systemic hypertonia in patients in whom the symptom cannot be adequately controlled by intermittent use of oral muscle relaxant drugs.

• Authors: Ikuko Hiejima, Tomohiro Kumada, Fumihito Nozaki, Anri Hayasi, Tomoko Miyajima, Tatsuya Fujii
• Journal: No to hattatsu = Brain and development (No To Hattatsu) Vol. 47 Issue 1 Pg. 28-31 (Jan 2015) ISSN: 0029-0831 [Print] Japan
• PMID: 25803908 (Publication Type: English Abstract, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Muscle Relaxants, Central
• tizanidine
• Clonidine

Topics

• Child, Preschool
• Clonidine (administration & dosage, analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Enteral Nutrition
• Female
• Humans
• Infant
• Male
• Muscle Hypertonia (drug therapy)
• Muscle Relaxants, Central (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Quadriplegia (drug therapy)
• Quality of Life
• Retrospective Studies
• Treatment Outcome
• Young Adult