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Dornase Alfa for Non-Cystic Fibrosis Pediatric Pulmonary Atelectasis

Krisy-Ann Thornby1, Ashley Johnson2, Samantha Axtell2

  • 1Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL, USA krisy_thornby@pba.edu.

The Annals of Pharmacotherapy
|May 10, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Dornase alfa may help pediatric patients with pulmonary atelectasis when other treatments fail. This review of clinical trials and case studies suggests it is a viable option for non-cystic fibrosis patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonology
  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Pulmonary atelectasis in pediatric patients often lacks effective treatment options after conventional therapies fail.
  • Dornase alfa, a recombinant human deoxyribonuclease, is explored as an off-label therapeutic agent.

Approach:

  • A comprehensive literature review was conducted using MEDLINE/PubMed and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts.
  • Included were English-language clinical trials and case studies of pediatric patients treated with dornase alfa for pulmonary atelectasis.
  • Eight clinical trials and 12 case reports met the inclusion criteria.

Key Points:

  • The majority of pediatric patients in the reviewed studies showed improvement in pulmonary atelectasis after dornase alfa treatment.
  • Dornase alfa was generally well-tolerated in this pediatric population.
  • Potential confounding factors included combination therapies, diverse primary diagnoses, and varied outcome measures.

Conclusions:

  • Dornase alfa presents a potential therapeutic option for pediatric patients with non-cystic fibrosis and pulmonary atelectasis.
  • It may be considered when conventional treatment strategies have proven unsuccessful.
Abstract

Keywords:
DNaseatelectasisdornase alfapediatricsrhDNase

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