Kishore Saraf

Imipramine side effects in children.

The incidence, range, and severity of side effects in 65 children and young adolescents receiving imipramine treatment are compared with those occurring in 37 children and young adolescents receiving placebo. Minor side effects occurred in 83% of the imipramine group and in 70% of the placebo group. Just under 5% of the children in the imipramine group had significant side effects but none were serious enough to necessitate drug withdrawal. The majority of side effects in both groups occurred during the first three weeks of treatment. However, there may be serious individual idiosyncrasies to high dosage of imipramine, as possibly suggested by the sudden death of one six year old girl during imipramine treatment.

Low dose fluphenazine decanoate in maintenance treatment of schizophrenia

To test the clinical efficacy of low dose fluphenazine decanoate (1.25 mg to 5.0 mg biweekly), we carried out two separate experiments: (1) an open trial in 57 schizophrenic outpatients, lasting 6 months; (2) a double-blind, placebo-controlled discontinuation study in a subgroup of patients who maintained good remission throughout the entire 6-month open trial. The results suggest that lower doses of fluphenazine decanoate than those usually used may be effective in preventing psychotic relapse while keeping total cumulative dosage to a minimum.

Clinical Pharmacological Management of Hyperkinetic Children

According to the classic description, children with the diagnosis f hyperkinetic reactions of childhoodtT display motor hyperactivity, impulsiveness, poor frustration tolerance, poor concentration, distractibility, and, frequently, immaturity and/or aggressiveness all in the absence of psychosis. Markedly increased motor activity may be an immediately obvious behavioral feature of the disorder; but the disabling aspect does not seem to be the level of activity per se, but the seeming lack of goal direction of the childrens behavior. The impulsive quality of their behavior and their poor concentration and easy distractibility contribute to an over-all impression of disorganization. These children are frequently immature; they communicate and behave like, and often associate with, children two to three years

EKG Effects of Imipramine Treatment in Children

Abstract Their are increasing reports of serious side effects in children with clinical use of imipramine in high doses. Our analysis of the EKG effects of imipramine in 25 hyperactive and 8 school phobic children suggests that children on a dose of imipramine of 3.5 mg/kg or more are likely to show an increase in PR interval of .02 seconds or more and that such increases are more likely to occur in patients with a small pretreatment PR interval. In 7 children the PR interval prolongation was above the rate-corrected norm. EKG monitoring seems desirable in children maintained on imipramine dose of 3.5 mg/kg or more.