Methadone dosing strategies in preterm neonates can be simplified.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

A dramatic increase in newborn infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome has been observed and these neonates are frequently treated with complex methadone dosing schemes to control their withdrawal symptoms. Despite its abundant use, hardly any data on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of methadone is available in preterm neonates. Therefore we investigated developmental PK of methadone and evaluated current dosing strategies and possible simplification in this vulnerable population.

Methods

A single-centre open-label prospective study was performed to collect PK data after a single oral dose of methadone in preterm neonates. A population PK model was built to characterize developmental PK of (R)- and (S)-methadone. Model-based simulations were performed to identify a simplifi

SUBMITTER: van Donge T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6533437 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature