Gabapentin Can Improve Irritability and Feeding Tolerance in Single Ventricle Interstage Patients: A Case Series

Catherine C Allen1, Karoline Canada2, Sarah Schlueter2

  • 1Division of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA. ccallen@pediatrics.wisc.edu.

Pediatric Cardiology
|September 21, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Gabapentin may help infants with single ventricle heart conditions who experience visceral hyperalgesia, leading to feeding intolerance. Four out of five infants showed improvement within 48 hours of treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Cardiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Visceral hyperalgesia is prevalent in children with complex medical issues.
  • Infants with single ventricle congenital heart disease (CHD) often exhibit feeding intolerance and irritability during the interstage period.

Observation:

  • This case series evaluated gabapentin's efficacy in treating visceral hyperalgesia in single ventricle interstage patients.
  • Five patients were included in the study.

Findings:

  • Four out of five patients experienced symptomatic improvement within 48 hours of initiating gabapentin therapy.
  • Gabapentin demonstrated a positive response in the majority of the observed cases.

Implications:

  • Gabapentin shows promise as a treatment for visceral hyperalgesia in single ventricle interstage patients.
  • Further multi-center prospective studies are warranted to confirm these preliminary findings and establish treatment guidelines.

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