Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 13, 2026

Magnetic Resonance-Guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Generated Hyperthermia: A Feasible Treatment Method in a Murine Rhabdomyosarcoma Model
13:41

Magnetic Resonance-Guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Generated Hyperthermia: A Feasible Treatment Method in a Murine Rhabdomyosarcoma Model

Published on: January 13, 2023

3.0K

Palliative medicines for children - a new frontier in paediatric research

Liz Jamieson1, Ian C K Wong1, Finella Craig2

  • 1UCL School of Pharmacy, London, UK.

The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
|October 15, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Children needing palliative care in the UK lack suitable medicines due to insufficient research. This leaves many "therapeutic orphans" with limited treatment options for symptom management.

Area of Science:

  • Paediatric Palliative Care
  • Pharmacology
  • Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

  • Significant gap in research evidence for paediatric palliative care in the UK.
  • Limited availability of appropriate medicines for children with life-limiting illnesses.
  • Children are often treated with adult formulations lacking age-specific data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Highlight the lack of research and suitable medicines for paediatric palliative care.
  • Raise awareness of 'therapeutic orphans' in paediatric palliative care.
  • Advocate for improved medication availability and formulation for children.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and analysis of current prescribing practices.
  • Identification of knowledge gaps in paediatric palliative care pharmacotherapy.
  • Synthesis of existing data on off-patent drugs used in paediatric palliative care.

Main Results:

  • Most medicines used are old, off-patent drugs intended for adults.
  • Lack of age-appropriate formulations (strength, dosage form) is common.
  • Absence of age-related adverse drug reaction profiles and safe dosing guidelines.

Conclusions:

  • Urgent need for research funding and academic support for paediatric palliative care.
  • Pharmaceutical companies require support to develop suitable paediatric formulations.
  • Paediatric palliative care networks should advocate for research and product development.
Abstract

Keywords:
end-of-life carehospice caremedicines for childrenpaediatric medicinespaediatric palliative caresymptom management

More Related Videos

A Protocol for Rapid Post-mortem Cell Culture of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma DIPG08:46

A Protocol for Rapid Post-mortem Cell Culture of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma DIPG

Published on: March 7, 2017

17.6K
Proton Therapy Delivery and Its Clinical Application in Select Solid Tumor Malignancies08:34

Proton Therapy Delivery and Its Clinical Application in Select Solid Tumor Malignancies

Published on: February 6, 2019

21.2K

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
626
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
349
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses...
309
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight,...
414
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
673
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
6.3K