[5 years' ambulatory care experience with the clonidine stimulation test]

The authors give an account of their five-year experience with the clonidine test of growth hormone (GH) secretion. They used the test in 231 children examined on account of small stature. They administered 0.1 mg clonidine/m2 body surface by the oral route; blood specimens were collected at time 0, 60 and 90 minutes after administration of the preparation. They recorded 174 positive GH responses (75%), 30 negative responses (13%) and 27 marginal responses (12%). Falsely negative tests were recorded in a maximum of 10%. The test is a very useful screening examination of GH secretion due to the useful information it provides, and because it is simple and safe even when used in ambulatory practice.