• J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2019

    Attitudes, Beliefs, and Practices of Pediatric Palliative Care Physicians Regarding the Use of Methadone in Children with Advanced Cancer.

    • Kevin Madden, Diane Liu, and Eduardo Bruera.
    • Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA. Electronic address: kmadden@mdanderson.org.
    • J Pain Symptom Manage. 2019 Feb 1; 57 (2): 260-265.

    ContextMethadone is a long-acting opioid known for its unique pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Most research on methadone in children is limited to its effect on the prolongation of the corrected QT (QTc) interval.ObjectivesTo better understand the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of pediatric palliative care physicians regarding the use of methadone in children with advanced cancer.MethodsA survey was sent to the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Hospice and Palliative Medicine LISTSERV. Information on demographics, dosing of methadone, and the use of electrocardiograms (ECGs) was collected.ResultsOne-hundred and five respondents (91%) provide palliative care to children ≥ 50% of the time, and a majority (81, 77%) prescribe methadone. Most (62, 77%) physicians were board certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and most (39, 63%) certified via the direct pathway ("grandfathering"). Most physicians (57, 70%) do not use loading doses of methadone. Board-certified physicians trended toward decreasing methadone dose more (40% ± 19%) than non-board-certified physicians (28%, ±20%) when changing from the oral to intravenous route (P = 0.07). Respondents defined a QTc interval as "prolonged" (mean ± SD) at 444 milliseconds (±68 milliseconds). The percentage of patients receiving a baseline ECG was 65% (±33%). The most common reason for not performing a baseline ECG was that the patient was on hospice (13, 36%).ConclusionsThere are consistent practices, attitudes, and beliefs of pediatric palliative care providers with regard to methadone. More education is needed on the accurate value of a prolonged QTc interval.Copyright © 2018 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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