Comparative Efficacy and Side Effect Profiles of Interventions for Pediatric Saliva Control: A Cohort Study

Apostolos Papandreou, Aoife Mahony, Anne Breaks, Michael Absoud, Charlie Fairhurst

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare efficacy and side effect profile data on conservative, behavioral, pharmacological, and surgical treatments used for pediatric saliva control.

STUDY DESIGN: A cohort study of children (n = 483) referred to a specialty Saliva Control service between May 2014 and November 2019 was performed, using quantitative data from pretreatment and post-treatment questionnaires (the Drooling Impact Scale [DIS], Drooling Rating Scale [DRS]) and recording of side effects. Overall, 483 children were included; treatment choices were based on published international guidelines.

RESULTS: The greatest improvement was seen after intraglandular botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) injections (n = 207; 551 courses; mean DIS change, 34.7; 95% CI = 29.2-35.7) or duct transpositional surgery (n = 31; mean change in DIS, 29.0; 95% CI, 22.3-35.7). Oral anticholinergics were associated with good outcomes, with no significant statistical difference between glycopyrronium bromide (n = 150; mean DIS change, 21.5; 95% CI, 19.1-24.0) or trihexyphenidyl (n = 87; mean DIS change, 22.4; 95% CI, 18.9-25.8). Inhaled ipratropium bromide was not as efficacious (n = 80; mean DIS change, 11.1; 95% CI, 8.9-13.3). Oromotor programs were used in a selected group with reliable outcomes (n = 9; mean DIS change, 13.0). Side effects were consistent with previous studies. Overall, in cases of milder severity, enterally administered therapies provided a good first-line option. With more severe problems, BTX-A injections or saliva duct transpositional surgery were more effective and well tolerated.

CONCLUSIONS: We describe a large, single-center pediatric saliva control cohort, providing direct comparison of the efficacy and side effect profiles for all available interventions and inform clinical practice for specialists when considering different options. BTX-A injections or saliva duct transpositional surgery seem to be more effective for saliva control that is more severe.

Original languageEnglish
Article number113803
Pages (from-to)113803
JournalJournal of pediatrics
Volume265
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2024

Keywords

  • Child
  • Humans
  • Saliva
  • Sialorrhea/drug therapy
  • Cohort Studies
  • Botulinum Toxins, Type A/therapeutic use
  • Salivary Ducts
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Cerebral Palsy/complications

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