National surveillance of oral medication prescription for children with dystonic cerebral palsy

Abstract

Aim: Oral medications are often first-line medical management for children with cerebral palsy who have generalised dystonia; however, evidence for their effectiveness is limited and dosing practices are inconsistent. As a first step to improve consistency, this study aimed to examine current clinical practice of expert doctors for prescribing medications for children with dystonic cerebral palsy including prescribing patterns and combinations of medications used. Methods: This was a prospective surveillance study of medical doctors working in major Australian centres who manage children with cerebral palsy. Each week over a continuous 6-month period, doctors completed a custom developed onl..