Serum and salivary digoxin concentrations in children

Serum and salivary digoxin concentrations were measured in 53 children and correlated with ECG variables and serum potassium, calcium and magnesium concentrations. In 73% of patients cardiac failure was controlled, while only 7,5% of patients had serum digoxin concentrations within the 'therapeutic range'. It is proposed that the adult therapeutic range of 1-2 ng/ml is not applicable to children, who can be controlled at lower concentrations and/or that a significant proportion of the children studied no longer required maintenance digoxin therapy.