title: Sublingual administration of atropine eyedrops in children with excessive drooling - a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Drooling can be a severe disability and have high impact on daily life. Reversible treatment is preferable.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyse whether sublingual administration of atropine eyedrops is a useful reversible treatment option for severe drooling in children with disabilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study had a prospective, single-system research design. The participants served as their own controls. The study period was 3 weeks without treatment, 4 weeks with atropine eyedrop solution 10 mg/mL one drop a day followed by 4 weeks of one drop twice a day. Parents' rating of their child's drooling was assessed on a 100-mm VAS, and unstimulated salivary secretion rate measurement was performed together with notations about side effects and practicality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parents' VAS assessment of drooling decreased from a median (range) of 74 (40-98) at baseline to 48 (18-88) (P = 0.05) and 32 (12-85) (P = 0.004) after 4 weeks of atropine once a day and another 4 weeks of atropine twice a day, respectively (n = 11). Unstimulated salivary secretion rates decreased from baseline to end of study (P = 0.032). Several parents complained about difficult administration. No irreversible side effects were noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sublingual atropine eyedrops may be an alternative for treatment of severe drooling in children with disabilities.
authors.affiliation: National Oral Disability Centre for Rare Disorders, The Institute for Postgraduate Dental Education, Jönköping, Sweden.|CHILD, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Norderyd
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentofacial Orthopedics, Maxillofacial Unit, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Agneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcusson
authors.affiliation: Habilitation Centre, Ryhov County Hospital, Jönköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.affiliation: Department for Child and Youth Habilitation, County Council of Östergötland, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sjöstrand
authors.affiliation: Habilitation Centre, Ryhov County Hospital, Jönköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steinwall
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elinor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ärleskog
authors.affiliation: Centre for Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bågesund
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D000293:Adolescent; D001285:Atropine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012798:Sialorrhea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D001285:Atropine