title: Therapeutic applications of octreotide in pediatric patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We report our experience with the use of octreotide as primary or adjunctive therapy in children with various gastrointestinal disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pharmacy database identified patients who received octreotide for gastrointestinal diseases. Indications for octreotide use, dosing, effectiveness, and adverse events were evaluated by chart review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 21 patients (12 males), aged 1 month to 13 years, were evaluated. Eleven received octreotide for massive gastrointestinal bleeding caused by portal hypertension-induced lesions (n=7), typhlitis (1), Meckel's diverticulum (1), and indefinite source (2). Blood transfusion requirements were reduced from 23 ± 9 mL/kg (mean ± SD) to 8 ± 15 mL/kg (P<0.01). Four patients with pancreatic pseudocyst and/or ascites received octreotide over 14.0 ± 5.7 days in 2 patients. In 3 children, pancreatic pseudocyst resolved in 12 ± 2 days and pancreatic ascites resolved in 7 days in 2. Three patients with chylothorax received octreotide for 14 ± 7 days with complete resolution in each. Two infants with chronic diarrhea received octreotide over 11 ± 4.2 months. Stool output decreased from 85 ± 21 mL/kg/day to 28 ± 18 mL/kg/day, 3 months after initiation of octreotide. The child with dumping syndrome responded to octreotide in a week. Adverse events developed in 4 patients: Q-T interval prolongation and ventricular fibrillation, hyperglycemia, growth hormone deficiency, and hypertension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Octreotide provides a valuable addition to the therapeutic armamentum of the pediatric gastroenterologist for a wide variety of disorders. Serious adverse events may occur and patients must be closely monitored.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. aa_alhussaini@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Abdulrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Hussaini
authors.forename: Decker
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Butzner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy; D004377:Dumping Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015282:Octreotide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D015282:Octreotide