title: Colchicine for children with pericarditis: systematic review of clinical studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the evidence for the efficacy and safety of colchicine in children with pericarditis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review.
  
  
  METHODS
  The following databases were searched for studies about colchicine in children with pericarditis (June 2015): Cochrane Central, Medline, EMBASE and LILACS.
  
  
  METHODS
  All observational and experimental studies on humans with any length of follow-up and no limitations on language or publication status were included. The outcomes studied were recurrences of pericarditis and adverse events.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two authors extracted data and assessed quality of included studies using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for non-randomised trials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two case series and nine case reports reported the use of colchicine in a total of 86 children with pericarditis. Five articles including 74 paediatric patients were in favour of colchicine in preventing further pericarditis recurrences. Six studies including 12 patients showed that colchicine did not prevent recurrences of pericarditis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although colchicine is an established treatment for pericarditis in adults, it is not routinely used in children. There is not enough evidence to support or discourage the use of colchicine in children with pericarditis. Further research in the form of large double-blind RCTs is needed to establish the efficacy of colchicine in children with pericarditis.
authors.affiliation: Academic Radiology Registrar at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Samer
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9960-7587
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alabed
authors.affiliation: Cochrane México, Hospital Pediátrico de Sinaloa, Culiacán, México.
authors.forename: Giordano
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3770-5974
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pérez-Gaxiola
authors.affiliation: Professor of Public Health, City University London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9540-622X
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burls
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003078:Colchicine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011185:Postpericardiotomy Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003078:Colchicine
keywords: colchicine; pericarditis; systematic review