Pediatric patients development effects

Due both to the expansion of the psychopharmacol-ogical armamentarium and the advances in the medical treatment of severely ill pediatric patients, child and adolescent psychiatrists are increasingly being called upon to manage these patients adjunctively with psychiatric medication. This need has been tempered with concerns over the potential effects of psychotropic medications on the developing central nervous system (CNS) (Jensen, 1998 Vitiello, 1998). The management of these medically ill children and adolescents falls into several categories ... 

Using the PPK approach in the development of a new drag has the advantage that the relevant pharmacokinetic parameters for a reasonably large population can be obtained from only a few blood samples per subject. The PPK approach is the method of choice in all situations when only sparse and unbalanced data can be obtained. This situation exists when the PK needs to be studied in elderly, critically ill and pediatric patients, but also very often in preclinical studies investigating the effects of the drug in animals. 

Emergency medical services (EMS) arriving onscene following a disaster or mass casualty event must have pediatric equipment, supplies, and medications to effectively treat the ill or injured children. The Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMS-C) Program has developed equipment guidelines for the prehospital care of pediatric patients. Scene safety, field command, and search and rescue attempts are enacted in accordance with predetermined EMS disaster plans. 

The percutaneous (transdermal or topical) route for systemic drug delivery is used infrequently for pediatric patients. Medications are typically applied to the skin for their local effect. In the future, this route may be used more frequently for systemic effects as more transdermal systems are developed for drug delivery. 

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