Use of buprenorphine in children with chronic pseudoobstruction syndrome: case series and review of literature.
OBJECTIVE
Abdominal pain is the most challenging symptom in chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction (CIPO) syndrome, because of its severity and the limited availability of suitable opioid formulations, especially in pediatric patients with digestive problems. Most of the children with CIPO cannot tolerate oral formulations.


METHODS
We present 4 cases of children with CIPO and severe intractable abdominal pain, and report on the use of a recently available form of opioid, transdermal buprenorphine in a dosage of 5 mcg/h.


CONCLUSIONS
CIPO and the unique pharmacological profile of buprenorphine are reviewed briefly.
Department of Anesthesiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Sunisa
S
Prapaitrakool
Markus W
MW
Hollmann
Hans Christian
HC
Wartenberg
Benedikt
B
Preckel
Stefan
S
Brugger
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007418:Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D002047:Buprenorphine