Population Pharmacokinetics to Support Intravenous and Enteral Methadone Dosing in Children.

ABSTRACT: Methadone is used in hospitalized children to treat pain and iatrogenic opiate withdrawal. Optimal pediatric dosing for both enteral and intravenous methadone is unknown. We conducted two prospective, multi-center, open-label studies to characterize the pharmacokinetics of methadone in the pediatric population. These studies were conducted at a total of 23 US children's hospitals. Ninety-nine children with a median (range) age of 2.3 (0-19.0) years and weight of 13.0 (0.72-159) kg were prescribed methadone per standard of care for treatment of pain or iatrogenic opiate withdrawal. Ninety-nine children received median (range) methadone doses of 0.11 (0.01-0.39) mg/kg intravenously and 0.10 (0.01-0.61) mg/kg enterally. Ten participants received only intravenous doses; 78 received only entera

SUBMITTER: Watt KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12755061 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature