title: Positive experience with intrathecal baclofen treatment in children with severe cerebral palsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment of severe spasticity and dystonia with intrathecal baclofen (ITB) in children has been shown to be effective and has therefore been employed in the Region of Southern Denmark. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse the efficacy and adverse events since ITB was introduced in 2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 46 children who had a baclofen pump from April 2003 to January 2013 were included. The children's medical records were reviewed and clinical characteristics, efficacy and adverse events were registered. The efficacy of treatment experienced by parents was ascertained by telephone interviews, and data were rated on a Likert scale ranging from one to five, where one was no effect and five was marked improvement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After ITB, spasticity was reduced from a median of four to two in the upper extremities and from a median of four to one in the lower extremities. Baclofen infusion was 105.1-2,000 micrograms/day (mean 494.9 micrograms/day). Oral baclofen was reduced from 27.3 to 17.7 mg/day after ITB (p < 0.01). The parents' assessment of improvement in well-being, function and ease of care of their child had a mean score of 3.7, 2.2 and 3.4, respectively. 87.1% of parents stated that ITB had been worthwhile, and 90.3% would recommend it to other parents. Most infectious and mechanical adverse events were experienced during the first 200 days after pump implantation. The total complication rate was 0.40 per pump year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ITB resulted in reduced spasticity in children with severe spasticity and dystonia, and ITB could be considered safe. Parents' satisfaction with ITB was rated as good and most parents would recommend ITB to others.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  not relevant.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  not relevant.
authors.affiliation: Psykiatrisk Afdeling, Odense Universitetshospital, Kløvervænget 25, 5000 Odense C, Denmark. tinett.overgard@rsyd.dk.
authors.forename: Tinett Martesen
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Overgård
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kjærsgaard-Hansen
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Søe
authors.forename: Niels Ove
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Illum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001418:Baclofen / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003718:Denmark; D004421:Dystonia / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015918:Infusion Pumps, Implantable / Q000009:adverse effects; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central; D001418:Baclofen