Therapeutic Applications of Octreotide in Pediatric Patients

Background/Aim: We report our experience with the use of octreotide as primary or adjunctive therapy in children with various gastrointestinal disorders. Patients and Methods: A pharmacy database identified patients who received octreotide for gastrointestinal diseases. Indications for octreotide use, dosing, effectiveness, and adverse events were evaluated by chart review. Results: A total of 21 patients (12 males), aged 1 month to 13 years, were evaluated. Eleven received octreotide for massive gastrointestinal bleeding caused by portal hypertension-induced lesions (n=7), typhlitis (1), Meckel's diverticulum (1), and indefinite source (2). Blood transfusion requirements were reduced from 23 +/- 9 mL/kg (mean +/- SD) to 8 +/- 15 (P<0.01). Four patients with pancreatic pseudocyst and/or ascites received octreotide over 14.0 +/- 5.7 days in 2 patients. In 3 children, pancreatic pseudocyst resolved in 12 +/- 2 days and pancreatic ascites resolved in 7 days in 2. Three patients with chylothorax received octreotide for 14 +/- 7 days with complete resolution in each. Two infants with chronic diarrhea received octreotide over 11 +/- 4.2 months. Stool output decreased from 85 +/- 21 mL/kg/day to 28 +/- 18 mL/kg/day, 3 months after initiation of octreotide. The child with dumping syndrome responded to octreotide in a week. Adverse events developed in 4 patients: Q-T interval prolongation and ventricular fibrillation, hyperglycemia, growth hormone deficiency, and hypertension. Conclusion: Octreotide provides a valuable addition to the therapeutic armamentum of the pediatric gastroenterologist for a wide variety of disorders. Serious adverse events may occur and patients must be closely monitored.