Non-epileptic pedaling-like movement induced by triclofos

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

• Sedation is crucial for pediatric imaging procedures like computed tomography (CT).
• Triclofos is a sedative agent used in pediatric care.
• Adverse drug reactions in infants require careful monitoring and documentation.

Observation:

• An infant received 80 mg/kg of triclofos for sedation during a head CT scan.
• Within 15 minutes, the infant exhibited unusual pedaling-like movements and slight upward eye deviation.
• The movements could be manually stopped and occurred intermittently for approximately 2 hours.

Findings:

• Electroencephalography (EEG) during the movements showed physiological semirhythmic theta waves.
• No epileptiform discharges or paroxysmal activities were observed on the EEG.
• The observed movements were characterized as non-epileptic.

Implications:

• This case highlights a potential, transient side effect of triclofos in infants.
• Distinguishing drug-induced movements from seizures is critical in pediatric neurology.
• Further investigation into the neurophysiological effects of triclofos in pediatric populations may be warranted.